FARMERS AND 40-HOUR WEEK

Chronicle (Levin), 8 May 1946, Page 8

FARMERS AND 40-HOUR WEEK

SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR PRlMARY PRODUCTION "Tf I was a voung man, I certainly _ would not work 6U or more hours a vveek when 4 could get a 4U-hour llvedav week in the cities," said ilr. J. Boyce at the New Zealand Dairy Boani ward conference in Palmerston North yesterday wlien lie moved that the attention of the Government should be drawn to the effect that the 40-hour week in other industries was having on primary production in the Dominion, and to the utter impossibility oi modifying the hours worked on farms to hring tlieiu into line with thosq worked in urban industry. The motion was ananimously carried. In reply to questions on this subject, the chairman (Alr. A. Linton) said that in his opinion a 40-hour weelc for the farming industry was just not feasible. I "The introduetion of the so-ealled j universal. 40-hour week at a time when I the country is desperatelv short of con- | sumer goods has been, I think, a tactii cal error on the part of the Government," said Mr. Linton. ,"I do not say l that at some future date the 40-hour I week would be practicable in New Zeaj land, and the people would be able to jenjov it, but at the present time it is | seriously affecting the production of j badly-needed consumer goods, and it is having a detrimental effect on the j c o u n t rv 's ec o n o my. ' ' j If the 40-hour week for otheu indusjtries was liere to stay, added the speak ! er, means must be fouinl to increase | production during the hours worked.

Butterfat Price i "The question of the price to be pahi for dairy produce for next season, is i oue that has been diseussed at farmers ' meetings in differcnt" parts of tlu | country, particularly since legislatiou j was passed malcing the 40-hour week universal throughout the country," said Alr. Linton. : Farmers had realised only too well that oue of the effects of this legislatiou ; was to widen still further the gap be- ' tween wlnit the country could offer, in ; vomparison with the greater attractions of Ihe high wages and 40-hour week of the cities, lie said. They thought this shouhl be taken into consideration when the price was fixed for next season, and that farmers shouhl be recompensed in some wav, through their price for tlu longer hours worked on the farm. Just how effect could. best be given this, was a matter requiring a lot of carefut thought. Jt was obviouslv impossible to work a 40-hour week 011 dairy farms, but in the price for their produce they could receive something extra to compensate for the additional hours whicli had to be worked 011 dairy farms. L this was done it y.'ould. lielp attract lai>onr to the farms. and would allow them to retain employees who would otherwise be attracted away where shortei hours and higher wages were offering. ' ' I ara glad to say that oue of the first tliings that the dairy section of thv ! recently-eonstituted Federaed Farmers' did, was to get in touch with the Board • and the Dairy Industry Couneil with a vjevv to discussiiig this — and othes problems affecting tlie interests of dairy farmers," he declared. "The executive of the dairy section met the Dairy Industry Couneil some little time ago, and we jointly decided that for next season our objective should be to secure for our people, the standards as set out bv Ihe 1938 guaranteed price advisorv committee, but later altered bv Alr. Xash. It vou remember, after those standards were fixed, Alr. Xash redueed them by .S7d. per 11). butterfat. The industry luis alwavs lalioured under a genuine sense of grievance over that unwarranfed reduction, but during the war vears, with a \ iew to securing the greatest ])ossible outfiut for Britain. and putting aside all questions that were in dispute betweeu the Government and ourselves. ■ we agreed that for the period of the : war we would not press our claim in connection with the standards. How- ' ever, we feel now that the war is oVer. tliere is 110 longer any reason wbatever for f'oregoing anything from standards that were unanimonsly fixed by a committee of verv able- iiien represent.ing botli the industry and the Government. The board will therefore be pressiug this claim, when the price for next season comos up for review shortly. in their joint dist-ussions with Federated Farmers' Dairy Section, they alsn agreed they should ask for something ' ihat would lielp offset the added advar.tages recently given citv industries : through the introduetion of t'lie universal 40-hour week. Just how they would approaeh this question would be a matter for diseussion, but he was sure the delegates would all agree that their industry had been placed in a mueli less advantageous position as a result of this latest legislation, and that sonm : monetary stimulus was required to over- • come thei-r present disadvantagos.