THE LOT OF-THE-FARM LABOURER.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 10967, 5 June 1903, Page 4

TH E LOT OF-TH E -FARM LABOURER.

Farm labourers must at ■ times feel not a little, envious of other .workers dv the colony, whose interests have been so well looked afte.ryaud protected by legiplativeenactments controlling the hours of labour and rates of pay. .- It is not .surprising, therefore, that at times there is a little difficulty In securing 1 .farm liauds, as has been the case in Canterbury and Otago recently. The position of, the "farm labourer is tlnis piit by an "Ex-Farm Hand," writing in a Southern exchange:—A ploughman has to have, his horses in the stable at 6 a.m. ; he feeds, grooms, and harnesses them before breakfast, which is at seven o'clock. At 7.30 Tie leaves the. stable for work. He has from one to one and a quarter hours for dinner," and he works till 5 p.m. By the time he is back to the stable and has fed and unharnessed his horses it is nearly, if not, past, six o'clock. At.G p.m.h e has tea, but his work for the day, is not finished yet. About 8 p. in". 1 he has to groom and cover the. horses, and he is tlier^, finished for the Jiight. .1 would^ ask the farmers' how it is that for, every orte married plonghmanyou will ( find nineteen single irieri. The married man' finds that he can earn more by working eight hours a day for ss,or, or 65.,. He is. then able to keep a few acres of land, a cow, and a few pigs. The man is away working all day, while 'the wife looks after the live stock. The wages for ploughmen at pTesent are £1 to 22s 6d for first-class men', and the married man working by the day earns from 5s to 6s a«day. Very often, through the , scarcity of day labour, 1 the man and his wife are obliged to accept a position as a -married couple, the man as gfcneral farm hand, and the wife as cook for the men or the employer's family^ In. all probability she will have to cook for from two ta six (men. 4 And the. remuneration {hey receive for this averages j685 per annum. The married, man. finds the only chance of- doing well is, in taking contracts for fencing, btish-felling, or other similar work.