FORTY-HOUR WEEK

Chronicle (Levin), 2 July 1947, Page 5

FORTY-HOUR WEEK

■press Association

Labour Meniber Supports . feffists' Claims

By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, July 1. . The application of the 40-ho'ur weeli . prineiple to the farming industry wa: impoi'taiit, deelai'ed Mr. Baxter,. for Raglan, during the course of Iii; inaiden speech in the House of Repre Sentatives, tonight. He said the basn' femuneration of those engaged in farni ing must sooner or later be determinec &s for 40 hours weekly Or 2000 hoiii't per year, He said he had been ealled Ain ideai lst for talking of .this but the farmehVvere talking of it and the Governmen. and Opposltion would have to think about it. It was impossible to go on indeliiiite iy basing urban economy on the 40 hour week and rural economy on t ] 60-hour week.

A-lthough the Government nad gont a long way tOward solving man-madt problems in New. Zealand, we still har to organise against acts of nature broughts were experiencecl in the north last year and • floods in the Wairarapa last week, and some means of protee tion against sucli events was required If we desired more production fronfarmei's we must do something fo them. JuSt_as the Minister of Work had planned roads, We had to plan t give security lo those living on th land between the roads. Anotller problem which could not In evaded for long was that of the rigli of oppOrthnity for the occupation o lands by qnalified persons. Befoix Labour took ottice any person couh occupy land who had suffieient cash o cotlld raise suffieient eredit." Hi ability to farm land had little to d with it. Thousands of persons in thpast had gatllbled with our nationa heritage — the land — as others gamblt'with pound notes 011 racehorses. Th time had come when the land must L. safeguarded aS our basic source o wealth and in a few years no govern ment would dare to go to the eoun.tr. without a policy of land settlemenl fo returned servicemen and others. Ther would be more qnalified persons seekin to take up land than there would b allotments available and we would hayi to"devise a system of allocation ii. which a person 's ability to farm lan was the first consideration. Lack o cash would have to be adjusted by th Government if necessary. Mr. Baxter said the first responsibi ity of all farniers in this country wu to check up on those who were at th head of their affairs.