FARM AND FACTORY HANDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 September 1933, Page 4

FARM AND FACTORY HANDS.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—There has been much correspondence in your paper recently over the wages of factory workers, but there is another kind of worker who receives more injustice than the factory worker, “Onlooker” and “Justice,” who give their views on how, the factory hands are treated, have probably never worked on a farm for someone else as an ordinary farm hand. If they have they certainly must have had a good position. “Justice” claims that a farmer can go and lie on his bed on a wet day and go out when he feels like it. Be that as it may, how does the poor farm hand get on who can never go and lie down or go out when he feels like it, besides working longer hours than any factory hand ever does? At present the average farm hand starts work at 5 a.m. He has half an hour for breakfast, three-quarters of an hour for dinner, and continues on until 7.30 p.m., having afternoon tea between the milking of cows. In summer time the hours are longer. I myself have put in 18 hours per day for days in succession, Sunday included. Let any factory hand tell me he has done the same. In the winter a factory hand has at least some time off. I would gladly exchange my position for that of any factory hand in New Zealand, also the wages. The average farm hand’s wage throughout Taranaki is 15s less wage tax, which works out at £2 14s per month, while the factory hand’s payment is £3 5s 9d per- week (less tax), which is a vast difference. I myself have had a • little factory experience in recent times, and know .whose position I would prefer. People wonder why the town youth will not go on to the farm. I certainly do not blaffie him ’ in’ any Way. But offer him a job in a factory, and see how readily he would accept. If any person can let me know of a harder worked, poorer paid body of workers than the majority of farm hands in New Zealand at the present time, I would be glad to hear of them. A factory hand has a routine of work daily, while a farm hand has a variety—too much of a variety. — I am, etc., UNCONVINCED. Eltham, September 4.