A NEW CHUM'S IMPRESSIONS

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13946, 29 April 1909, Page 4

A NEW CHUM'S IMPRESSIONS

(To the Editor.)

Sir, — I saw a piece in your paper the other, day where a farmer from the back-blocks compkined that through the fact of his not being able, .to gei I help for his wife he had to sell hb j farm. From what little I hare seen of the conditions of farm life in New Zealand", I think this particular farmer must be a very unique specimen. The majority seem* to me not to mind how hnrcl their wives and children have tr work, so that they have fairly eas> tinios thopselycfe. One of the first tilings which struck me on arrival was tho. way tho women worked on thf farms, alsft how sensitive the men were to working in the wet. I noticed thai as soon as a shower, came on all tool? were dropped and a bee-line made for the house, though tho same men die not scruple, when cow-time came; to let their women and young children gc o;it. thoigh it' poured with rain, some to fetch cows, others to feed pigs ant 3 calves, help to milk, arid so on. Car one wonder that girls object to go tc service ort v farms where the- women folk, after their own hard day's wort at the washtub or cooking, baking, and scrubbing, have to leave' the house tc the mercy of the smallest members of the family and the little ones to thf morcy of Providence, whilst' they &c out to milk and do other outside work when women more fortunately' placet? than farmers' wives would rightly think themselves entitled to well ' enrned rest. I am a new chum from! the Old Country, and thought a good j tradesman could not get employment, so resolved to try my luck at fam v/ork, and find I can v make more with less trouble than if I were working at my trade. I hopo to bo in a position tc send for my wife soon, but hope she wil! never have to stand in tho shoes of the majority of tho farm women here.— l are, etc., ' . G. GREGORY. Stratford, April 21, 1909. v