CORRESPONDENCE.

NZ Truth, Issue 141, 29 February 1908, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE FARM-WORKERS' WORRY.

TO THE EDITOR

• Sir,— l notice m the columns of a local paper that some telegraph cleric at Auckland has written to the Department protesting : against having had to work 15 hours j>n . Christmas' Eve. Long hours certainly, but the. convenience of the general Tiuhlic was concerned. There is another class which is "sweated" which has (m the North Island) no unions, no representatives m Parliament, or no Labor, Councils, namely, farm workers. On a fairly large station near here, for ten days at shearing time, the shepherds average 15 and 16 hours a day-; solid toil, mustering and rannina; about sheep yards-' (Your telegxaph clerk doesn't sweat m broiling sun.; He sits on a stool and scarcely moves his elbows.) Since the period referred to, the same hours are of frequent occurrence— weaning and dipping, etc., being m progress. Breakfasting at ?• a.m. is a frequent thing, and from that till 4 p.m., the general thing, and a man is lucky to get to bed between 9 and 10 p.m., having been on the trot all day. The wage is the magnificent sum oJ 25s per week, and the Shepherd finds and' maintains for this a team of dogs worth from £30 to £40. Four or five Sundays were worked, too, for which no pay was given. The cost of everything has increased (clothes are very dear), town workers' wages have gone up, but station hands, shepherds, etc., have got the same wages for the last ten years. We get no panic holidays, half-holidays, race or show day holidays,' like the townie does, and if your employer (who doesn't pay you a bean for the many hours overtime, sometimes 100 per cent, overtime for five months m the year, Sunday work, etc.) gives you a fortnight's holiday m the year, he considers ''himself very onerous. The 'whares on several stations are very bad, and 1.2 men crowded; into space for four is not good hygiene. We buy our simple necessities from country stores, and have, of course, to buy dearer than the townie— a trip into town to a theatre costs us at least ten times as much. There are M.P.'s who are Liberal and suppossd to represent the people that put them in-ri.e., the country workers— but they've never done a damned thing for us, There is one-; -M.P. m Haw-Ice's Bay, an "ex-bullocky," who has done well, and is now a miniature squatter (eh, what ?■). The squatters voted against him. The country workers put him m. He has not done the slightest thing calculated to benefit or to give country workers a share m the general prosperity. No, it goes on the same, the shepherd and his dogs still sweat 15, 16, and 17 hours per day for 25s a week, earning the living of the squattah, who rolls into town for the races, or to see his fancy lady, on his £1000 motor car. The man we put m to represent us is content with the honor and p;lory of being M.P. (and the £300 a year). Thore are, of course, crawlers on stations who hinder the formation of unions, but all we ask for is the same treatment as .the town worker— fair wages, overtime! and holidays. We are the backbone of 'the country. We tend the muttons— the muttons keep un N^w : Zealand. Trustkua; you will find space for this (which can be end^rs- j cd by hundreds of statipn-workers m New Zealand), — I am, etc.. P. HAMILTON.