FARM LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1662, 31 January 1913, Page 8

FARM LABOUR.

!'■', -VIEWS OF A WORKER; : A' correspondent, "Bill Hook," writing in reference to the shortage ot farni labour, has -the following to say:—"Ones again conies the plaintive, olt-repeated wail across the land from the small ianuer regarding "the shortage ,'of farm labour. Permit,me to repiy on the other .sides This is plainly what tho farmer requires: A species ol agricultural automaton in the form of a man who will rise at cock-crow and work, with tho exception of meal hours, until dark. If he is unlucky enough to be the cowspanker, Sunday is no exception. The monetary return is from £1 to £1 ss.' per week and found. The quarters in which no lives are usually cheerless and uuin.viting, his diversions few, his leisure next to nil. From seed time to harvest such is his nveary round. This is no theoretical exnjuration, but the result of extensive personal experience. 'Such.being the circumstances, it is hardly .to be wondered that the a"crage man infinitely: prefers to chance his luck at casual labour such as uavvying, at which lie can cam his 9s. (perhaps 10s.) per diem.-, He'hns to take the risks of ■.wot;wcatfjer- certainly. .Supposing ho averages four and a half days per week, ho draHvs, at the 9s; rate, lis. 6d. per week, less .£1 board .and,lodging,..he, has; a balance in harid'bf'Si''4s".'6d;'f6r' a thirty-six-hour week. • This against the sixty-six-hour week of the farm hand, at Nei r ss.

The- farmer will tell you his wage, is for "wot or fine, and that there is so' much lost time in wet weather. . I say sense!" I worked once for four'menths in one. of : ,the : wettest parts of, New Zealand. ;We had a rainfall of 30 inches in two months,.but during the four months I had only two (or three at the outside) slack days. Then thero was harness to clean and sacks to mend. '• On largo stations/ th« men's day is an. eight-hour one, ■ their (wage is' as good, their treatment better, and their housing beyond comparison. The small, or average farmer expects-a bushel, sometimes two,:for his peck. Tho lifo of those whom he employs is the essence of drudgery and monotony, with rarely any relief. Until the farmer changes his methods,, his pay, and his men's housing he will,' I contend, continuo to go short'of labour. He,begrudges his men a rise of pay, the amount of which he would'spend in one day's pleasure in town. Good season or bad, his cry'is ■"poverty." If* his season is prosperous he does not share it : in any way'with 'those whose lubcur has been a contributory cause. I recently left farming (some of my days were from 5 'a.m. .to 6.30 'p.m. for, casual labour, and I have earnedjn three ■weeks £8, at the rate of 10s. per diem, less 3s. for board and lodging.' It has felt to me as though I were having a'holiday. . ','..,.'■ ,

■An advertisement in a northern pßi.er, which reads as follows, speaks for itself: "Man, young, six years at farming, desires position in town, any occupation. Apply, with full particulars, 'Willing.'" Docs this not mean "full up" as plain as anything could. This advertiser is only one" among the many at present'in the Dominion who are "full up,", and so kng as things continue to be as they are there will be a growing number of such men. Will any "Cockatoo" ' como forward witK his side, and sign his name? A letter from the- theoretical townsman, who says "Go oh the land," and himself stays in.town, is unnecessary. In the matter of-food I have nothing to cavil at, even a horse must have good oats. ■ ■. •