SHAREMILKER PROBLEM

Taranaki Daily News, 1 May 1937, Page 6

SHAREMILKER PROBLEM

By Telegraph—Press Association.

ADVICE OF THE MINISTER parties should get together. injustices under contracts. legislation under discussion. t .

Christchurch, Last Night A suggestion that the parties in sharemilkiing agreements should get together with a view to the drawing up for use in the coming season of a standard form ot agreement, prescribing amongst other things the basis of distribution of the proceeds of farming operations and the costs to be borne by the owner and the sharemilker rospectively, was made by the acting-Minister of Labour, the Hon. P C. Webb, in an interview to-day. Legislative action on the matter was foreshadowed by the Minister. "Representations have been made to me recently," said the Minister, "regarding the unfortunate position in which sharemilkers are placed in respect of their sharemilkjng contracts, also in respect of the application of the Agricultural Workers' Act, 1936, to the workers v/hom they are required to employ to carry out such contracts. "The increases in the rates of wages prescribed by the Act for agricultural workers employed on dairy farms were decided upon having regard to the guaranteed price for butter, and it is pointed out that a sharemilker (who receives cnly a fixed percentage of the milk or cream returns) has to meet the whole of the increased cost of labour out of the percentage payable to him under the contract, his principal receiving the remaining percentage without paying any contribution towards the cost of labour.

Basis of Contracts. "Where the sharemilker himself provides the stock for the farm he is, I understand, on a 50 per cent basis under liis sharemilking contract, while in those cases in which he does not provide stock he is usually on a 33 1-3 per cent. basis and he has to meet the whole cost of labour required to be provided by him out of his 50 per cent. or 33 1-3 per cent. as the case may be. "Furthermore, no standard form of sharemilking agreement is in use, contracts differing in their provisions in respect of other matters provided therein according to the parties and the districts concerned. For example, it appears that in some cases a sharemilker receives only a percentage of the monthly cheques and does not participate in the bonus or in the proceeds arising from the rearing of calves and pigs, while in other cases he participates in the bonus and receives a share of the calves and pigs.

Sharing of Costs. "Similarly the costs to be borne by the sharemilker vary according to the terms of the contracts, but it is usually found that he himself has to meet all expenditure for oil, power, xnilking machine and separator replacements and harvesting. In addition he had to keep in repair all farm implements irrespective of the condition of such implements at the time he takes them over. It is contended that the sharemilkers are placed in the most unfair position." The Minister added that although he recognised the problem was .one of considerable difficulty it did not appear to him, to be incapable of , sblution. He therefore suggested that the parties concerned should get together. In the rT,f»apt;mt. the Government was investigating the position from the legislative point of view. He thought it would be realised by both sides that any agreement arrived at on the lines he had ihdicated would be of considerable assistance to the Government in formulating any legislative proposals.that might be considered essential for the . wellbeing not only of the sharemilker but also of the dairying industry.