BOYS ON FARMS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23317, 28 September 1945, Page 2

BOYS ON FARMS

Sir, —My son, a strong boy and a good horseman, bred and born in the country, wished to take on farm work, to which I agreed conditionally on his staying at his first job six months or longer. Here is his experience not 30 miles from Timaru. On his arrival he was taken to an old clay hovel on the hillside. The bed was old sacks nailed on four by two under a broken window stuffed with a shirt. There were about 100 sacks and a pile of broken harness which had to be repaired in wet weather The place was riddled with rat holes and filthy, but he Was allowed the afternoon off to clean it out and chop down a dead willow for firewood. He had to rise before dawn, wade through a creek, bring in, harness and groom six horses and milk six cows before breakfast at 7 o’clock. His midday meal for six months never varied: a parcel of mutton sandwiches, sometimes a piece of stale cake and a bottle of cold tea. He had to be at the plough with his six horse team at 8 and stay there until 6 in the evening and then milk his six cows and have tea which, like breakfast, was served in the back kitchen at 7. Inquiring if he could have a hot bath, he was told that hired hands were only allowed in the house for Bible reading and had the creek to bathe in. When ploughing was finished an area of gorse was stepped out to be grubbed before milking. Except for attending to the cows and horses and doing his washing, Sunday was a day of rest. Since the farmer did not like to hear hammering on Sunday, he was not allowed to mend his boots and had to do that by candle light during the week. The only time off he got was Show Day, after seeing to his cows and horses. Receiving no extra pay for helping at harvest or picking up for three shearers, he gave up the job and asked for his cheque which came to 15/- a week. When he started work he weighed 11 stone; and on arrival home he was 9 stone 7 pounds and more like a bent old man than a boy of 17. So you see one reason why boys will not work in the country.—l am, etc., Boy’s Father.