FARM LABOURERS' DISPUTE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 47, 19 November 1907, Page 7

FARM LABOURERS' DISPUTE.

CASE BEFORE CONCILIATION BOARD. [by telequaih.—pkess association.] Christchurcti, November 18. ' The hearing of tho farm labourors' dispute by the' Canterbury Conciliation Board commenced' this morning, 'tho schfdulo of demands by the. Union was set out as follows :— ' ' Hours of Labour —Ploughmen, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.; breakfast, 7 to 7.80 a.m.; dinner, an hour and \a half from leaving work till starting back to work; work with horses to stop at 6 p.m.,'after which the men were not to groom horses; day-labourers, eight hours and a half for five days, and four hours and a half on Saturday; general farm hands, nine hours per day; ' harvesters, 7 a.m. to 7-p.m., ono hour,for dinner, half an hour for lunch. Married Couples — Husbands, samo hours as ploughmen or harvesters, according to work. Other work at forty-eight hours per week.

' Rates of Wages—Head ploughman or timekeeper, ' £1' 10s. per week; ploughmen on level country, £1 7s. 6d for four-horse (team, and £1 ss. for three-horso team, 2s. 6d. extra for every additional horse; swamp ploughing with six horses, £1-los. -per week; general farm hands, £1 7s. 6d. per week; day labourers, 7s. (id-, a day; oasuals, Is. por hour; drailiors, Is. per hour, if in water la. 3d. per hour, gnmboots supplied by oinployor. Harvest Wages— Men working horsed, £2 155., with board and lodgings; stooking and forking £2 los,, or, Is. 3d. por hour, with board and lodging; 'stacking, £3'per'woek;-or Is. 6d. per nour and.found; stacker's! assistant-, Is.- per .hour and found; day men, Is. per hour,, with board at rate of 10s. per week where necessary; married couples, where both have ;to work—Man, £1 .7s. Gd, wife (a? cdok), las. per week for four men. and 2s. per week for each man over four ; it required to bake, £1 per week, house and coal or firewood free. Horse and trap to be allowed to be kept at not more than Is. per week. If the man has, to harvest, tho wages to bo those of harvesters.

Shepherds—Head shepherds on plains or downs, if married, £1 12s. 6d.; on back or mountainous country, if married, £1 155.; hojise, fuel, rations, horses, and feed for dogs free. Single men, same wages, with board and lodgings, instead of house. Uhder-shep-hords, £1 12s. 6d.'find, found, if single, or with house if married. Casual employees, £1 15s. and all found. Mustering on Sundays, Is. per hour. Mustferers and packors in back country, £3 per Week, and 10s. extra for Sundays, and found; day musterers, lis. per day, with one day's pay for coming from last job and ss. expenses. Threshers, samo wages and conditions as harvesters. Holidays—New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, day of local sports, Labour Day, King's Birthday, Christmas Day, Dosing Day, one week each in November and May,, all at full pay, and a half holiday on Saturday, except in harvest time. : Overtime—Day labourors, > Is. por hour; harvesters, Is. 3d. per hour, for all timo before-7 a.m. or after 7 p.m. . Boys to be. paid not less .than' 17s. 6d. per week, with - increases of 2s. 6d. overy six months to tho full wages. C B—No boy under sixteen to take charge of a team of moro than two horses, and no boy to work before or after hours fixed lor other farm workers.

All sleeping accommodation to be properly ventilated and sanitary, and oaoh individual to have the same spaco as allotted under tho Shearers' Act, 1898; the dining-room to ho separate ftom the sloeping room; each worker to have board, soap, and candles allowed) and the choice of bakers' broad \whcn practicable, and to be allowed os. a weok extra if thoy havo to cook fbr themselves. 7 13—Preference to bo given to unionists. 'No work covered by these conditions to bo let by contract. Evidence was given in support' of the Union's demands, and tho dispute was adjourned till to-morrow, when further ovidcnco will: be heard.