Farmers and Cheap Labor.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 2, 8 December 1911, Page 13

Farmers and Cheap Labor.

SOME LITTLE SCHEMES.

1,, Mr. E! Kennedy, secretary of the , Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral I Labourers', Unjoh*, has addressed a let\tier'to Mr. W. F. Hilson, secretary of the FarmersV )_ Union, Canterbury branch, in reply?to a letter of the latter dealing with Mr. Kennedy's statement to the effect that he men should organise, in view of the Farmers' Union cheap; labour scheme, and asking for particulars thereof. In reply, Mr. Kennedy wrote a lengthy letter, giving full details of various schemes advocated by the Farmers' Union for the N introduction of boy immigrants to work on farms •it the following rates of pay:'— First six /months, ss. per- week. Second six months, 7s. 6d. per week. Second year, 12s. 6d. per week. Third year, 17s. 6d. per week. ~-■.■ Other facts mentioned, by Mr. Kennedy are given as follow:— "Here is another scheme—or part of the above —'tried successfully in Southland .(the whole is too long to quote). Altogether there have been 47 men in this way brought to Southland, age from 18 to 23 years of age, one boy. 16 years, and, Mr. Allen has 50: applications; for boys or young men,. There is .another batch of boys on P their way tb' New Zealand by-the..;Sur--rey which left England a. * few. days after the Athenic..' . ~ .... .' .!.'. "No.ay, for /No,, jJohn Craig, Owaka, writes to the MOlutha Leader,'' enclosing' a cheque ; for £10 for. assisting boy, and girl labour to New Zealand, He recommends the scheme to the local Farmers' Union-— the New Boys' League or the Messenger Boys' . League would be, glad to select - boy s. • "No. r 4'.scheme.—Taranaki branch of the Farmers'- Union. , The executive agreed witli the proposal of the Government in re scheme of emigration of lads for farm work. Thonly wages offered were 2s. 6d. per week for the first year, and 10s. for the second. ? "No. 5 scheme; see Farmers' Union "Advocate,'/,, 6th. A batch of young men arrived in Invereargill from London; sent out by the Central Uneihpldyedbody, aged from 19 to 22 years. .._•' : /.;' , : . y ■ "Next,. take. Press Association telegram, Auckland, January 19th:—The. Auckland executive of the Farmers' Unibn lias decided to undertake the »importation, of farm labourers on its own account. (At this meeting a case was discussed where a child of 13 years of "age had to milk 16 cows twice a day.) The members of the _ executive discussed this importation scheme at -some length,, and Mr. Joseph Flanagan, a member avlio takes an active iriterespfc in all questions of this kind, was immediately elected to act as the union's immigration agent. In the meantime the executive was to find out from the Governmeiit what facilities could be obtained.