CONDITIONS ON FARMS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 764, 10 September 1929, Page 8

CONDITIONS ON FARMS

Sir,— The fact that the living conditions nK S "imt,,l E ir'3 lCrS engag in the dairv*PS. are not by any means htTons fn l5 fi brought to light by revethl SfL the recent Elrasley case at of tS Co^ rt ’ and h y the report lost thPii v Ster by which eight people llves ln a fire at an isolated farm-house. Shacks with lean-to's mere hovels devoid of the ordinary con- °£ the lown worker’s dwelt tng these are the “homes” o£ manv farmers and share-milkers engaged in suppiymg butter factories and creamenes Even personal cleanliness would be difficult under such condi v Ti he m f nner ot th ‘- death of these victims of the fire tragedy was appalling, but their way of living mus been w ° rse - w hat chances have children, when such places are the only home they know? It Is not onlv H l '-’’, 11 ' C1 «e? that we have slum condi“°ns-,,„ Volumes could be written of the sufferings of women and children on farms, but so far this matter seems to have been nobody’s concern. Our Minister of Education has had much S“ SierlV ‘ n S young people a bias tor farm life; the Auckland Chamber (Continued in next column.)

of Commerce (that body which concerns itself so much with the land question) is exerting itself to induce boys to go on the land, -while the Government has up its sleeve some scheme to assist them to become farmers. In view of recent instances quoted in the Press, can we be sure tliat our boys are not being sent to live in hovels, such as those de« scribed? M. B. SOLJAK,