FARM LABOURERS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13490, 11 January 1908, Page 5

FARM LABOURERS.

conciliation board. At ( V'-si-may the *-xamination of J'atriek Aiuiviiiill wius continued by -Mr 1 'hum. Witnuw *in id ln k did nuta s«-V:?:i hours* dsiy <jnit*- 8 long vnough. Jl vvouJd b.- hnpus&ibJe n> answer Un.* 4ties-Li;.u un to what- tim-j would bv takt 11 up by n ploughman in gluing ironi tJiuMubhs 10 his work. IK* was quite tiali*<*d however tlniV under t-hj uiiion dunand* it would not b.». pj.i.tdbi:* to pin. in liian ii. s; w-ji Injurs da v. JUf fixing «»l the minimum wage woiiJd b: k ahn'M as impussbk- on account of dilfereiiee in ilie capaciiv of ill: in. n. A minimum wag" of 7x Od pi-1- <iuy wa>: too much In be i n!ii[)i-t!i*d to pay lu any man. lull- it W lild in.i. b- lon much lo pay I! I liti farm !• could pic!; liii hk-ji. Wiine:-:-; declined io give. ilia upiniun of 7s 3d a. day t'uv caMin! inborn - . He did not- dt-al in thr.'..'pviiny bitri. Hi- had i-onk* rough vx-p.-ii.-nc; s in farming. Hs- paid his ploughman 27s 6d a week and found, with a, £4 bonns. A ploughman i-otild do hiswork easier with live than wilh four lioi>.-s- In engaging his nif-n wittier; was careful io pick gooil onto. 11 - Mrongv,' dfr-appluV! d of preferr-nce io union.\,i s in principle.

To ,M\- Kennedy : Tt would depend on tlv? giound liow much was a fair amount for a day's ploughing. Hail experienced great diflictihy and delay in grass seed tiowiiig on accnimi of thy wind. A man could nob t id.- on 1 lie ph nigh oil his place. II hr- had in pay liif- union demands- he would dispells. with as much labour ,-is po.-i-dble.

'Jo Mr Sheat : I'll fort una t(-ly lie w» not a. married man. It. would b;» a. blow to th- workers* if ,-m a warn w-:'i-e iixed. To fakt- out Iji'« hiiiNes from • the time. a. man left, his break fast into a paddock hall a mik- du-.tjuH would take ihreeijnarters of un hour.

To Mr Rushridgc : There were jobs thai could be kfl inn lone such fence culling;, I hough he admitted that, such a : . counse would eventually he disastrous to file farmer himself. He-would only do what was absolutely necessary. Hf* had rallied liis man's wages from 25# in 27s 6d. only about. tsix months ago. Mr 'I horn at this -.stage meniion.-d ihallie hail a. wiliiess J'rom littrke'is I'ass who had only got his •subpoena, on Tuesdav. Mr Jones objected to _Mr Tlir.rn i.---open-ing his ease. Tho chairman said tho Board had unanimously decided to hear the witn-e.-s. Mr Thorn said rheiv had been no time ii;,st by tin* witness in getting to the Board as soon • as he got- notice* Mr .roll's objected to having a precedent, •established, and ha intended -to ask for aii extension of the Genildine sittings. Mr Joneis again objected to the witnoss being taken, as he iras a musterer, and Mr Acland was not present, to cross-ex-amine him on behalf of thei sheep runhold.? rs\

The Board retired to consider the point raised. On resuming Mr Minson slated tiiat the Hoard had unanimously decided to hew the witnu-s, who was t hen called bv Mr Thorn.

Walter Scott, musterer from Burke's Paes. with 14 yeans" experience, aged 34. married, said that he had mustered on illicit of Hit- Mackenzie station. (.Jot 10s a day, including Sundays, wet and dry, for the whole of Ihe mustering. Ais far a.-; high country mustering, the. wages asked in the schedule were fair. The dogts' feet kept- sound in the winter, but tli"y often got. footsore in the summer. The accommodation we.fi certainly nut good. Only one station that he knew provided good huts'. The rents were mostly fair. The huts were not kept at. till clean. Very often left one camp and did a day's work, and before, he could shift to. another it cam? on to rain; and he had to lie in his wet things all night. Had four decent. dogs, which were worth from £8 to £l2 apiece, and a hoive wi'-rth £ls. Sometimes started at 2 or 3 in the morning. and seldom finished bc-fow 10 or 12, and it was real hard work, anil in the autumn it was fairly dangerous. Knew of two fatal accidents last year through mustering. It- was more- dangerous mustering when the stones were luose than in the streets of Ochrist church. Snow raking was' particularly hard work anil was worth at least 15s a day. The accommodation wis iht principal cai.se of mm. plaint. Tt was no!, always the run-hold-er.; lauli if the food Mas bad. A musterer sometimes had to commence driving when he Jiail ;gol the sheen in and this after a long days mustering wa.s not fair. Did not always get feed for his horse. Packers had verv long hours, never less than 12 hours If packers received better wages the. musterers would certainly ieceive better treatment. £3 a week was iH'her much for a packer.

To Mr Jrinps : The longest muster in lilt* Markl'lizi:- ('l'Ulltl'V w:l- lit. liiilllimill, and !a fine weather it could lie done :n a month. Knfir nothing of four months' musteis. He was rnact iea'lv a day musterer. Mi "lit have sold h:ilf a dozen dons in tlis course of 14 years. Hud Mver known in liis -xperienee of a fatal accident mustering. It w.is only at. ilie conclusion of the nms'.t-rino- of each block (hat n mail would bo asked to start drafting.

To Mr Kennedy: Tf a man had In slop at ail accommodation house in going to ;< jolt it was only fair that he should be allowed at least 5s for travelling- expenses. Forty miles was too far in a day to tabs dorrs'.

Mr Jones called Malcolm Campbell, orchardist, dairy farmer and labourer, Go>--alcline, who said he had 50 acres and 16 cows. It. would be impracticable to carry on his milking under the conditions asked by the Union. Last year carted his milk to Temuka, 11 miles, which took an hour and a, half. The Saturday half holiday impossible with cows. Milked the cows for nine months of the year. The abolition of contracts would seriously affect him. Could not always take on outside work by the day. Did better at contractthan bv day labour at stooking. Hail made as much as £1 a day. averaged lCs and 12s. ilhe contract system tended to develop a man more mentally and physically. Good men were more: difficult, (o obtain now than formerly, as sifter a wliilo good men pm on to farms of their own. Did not think there wax any necessity for existing conditions being interfered with. Mr Thorn cross-examined the witness at length on the. contract, system, in regard to threshing in light and heavv vie.lrling straw. It lie had earned 2s aji hour it would not be fair to expect payment fur helninsr to gel (lie mill out of a bog. Had threshed 450 bap.; of 4J bu>liv]s in 9 houi'.> on oiio occasion and made 2s 4d per hour. After such a tally he would not mind helping to get the mill out. When lie employed labour at his fencing contracts hei paid them 7s or 8s for the same class of work. That wn'-s about. 20 years ago. To Mr Sheat: Only knew of one case of a mill geiting housed in his exjiei ien.-e. To Mr Jones : The object of advertising tenders was (o let people know there \va ■> work to l>.' dot'--.

To Mr Whiting: There were bonis thai avorasred £l3 pel- row ami others £6. It depended largely on the season. Sir liere made mi applieni'uii f"i' :i fnrth-er sifting of tile lioard al CkMaldin:'. as h- had a large liumli'-r of «i>will) vaiied experieine yet to call. Tl:'- menl ioned the names of svveral itj>resentative farmers in tlie f!era]dine district who were waitinG; to give: evidence. Tn answer 1o Afr Whiting Mr Maslin said flie evidence given l>v these witnesses would he on different lines from that already given. 80 far thev had not hail an opportunity of presenting (heir ca,'e at Oeraldine. ' Only I lie fringe had been touched upon. "MY 'Nfinson stated that the "Hoard would

•jive the application for another sitlin 11 tin consideration.

i'lHie Board rose at 12.45 p.m. and left bv the first express Tor Chn.stclnirch. Ther will sit at Waimnia on .Monday.