DAIRY INDUSTRY

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 422, 1 May 1937, Page 6

DAIRY INDUSTRY

SHAREMILKERS’ PROBLEMS Legislation Foreshadowed Press Association —Copyright. Christchurch, April 30. A sugg stion thait 'ithe parties in sharemilking agreements should get together with a view to the drawing up for the use in the coming season of a standard form of agreement, prescribing amongst other things the basis of distribution of the proceeds of farming operations and the costs to be borne by the owner and the shuremilkltT respectively, was made by the acting-Minister of Labour, Hon. F ( C. Webb, in an interview to-day. Legislative action on the matter was foreshadowed by the Minister.

“R 1 presentations have been made to me recently, said' "The Minister, ‘“regarding the unfortunU.e posit bon in which sharemilkers are placed in respect of their sharemilking contracts, also in respect of the application of the Agricultuural Workers’ A.dt, 1936, to the workers whom they are required to employ to carry out such contracts. “The increases in the rates of wages prescribed by the Act for agricultural workers employed on dairy farms were decided upon having regard to the guaranteed price for butter, and It is pointed out that a sharemilker (who receives only a fixed percentage of the milk or cream returns) has to meet the whole of the increased cost of labour out of the percentage without paying any contribution toward the cost of labour. "Where the Eharemilker himself provides the stock for the farm he is, [ understand, on a 50 per cent, basis under his sharemilking contract, whfr 1 in those cases in which he does not provide stock he is usually on <a 33 1/3 per cent, basis and he has to meet the whole cost of labour required to be provided by him out of his 50 per cent, or 33 1/3 per e'ent. as the case

may be. “Furthermore, no standard form of sharemilking /agreement is in use, con_ , tracts differing in their provisions in respect of other matters, provided therein according to the parties and the districts concerned. For example, it appears that in some' cases a sharemilker receives only a percentage of the monthly cheques and does' not ponticipate in the bonus or in the' proceeds arising from the rearing of calves and pigs, while in other cases he participates in the bonus and receives a share of the calves and pigs. An Unfair Position. ‘Similarly the costs to be borne by the sharemilker vary according 'to the terms of the contracts, but it is usually found that he himself has to meet all expenditure for oil, power, milking machine and separator replacements and harvesting. In addition he has to keep in repair all farm implements irrespective of the condition of such implements at -the time he take s them over. It is contended that the sharemilkers are placed in the most unfair position.” / Ths- Minister added 'that although he recognised the problem was one of considerable difficulty it did not appear to him to be incapable of solution. He therefore suggested •thait the parties concerned should get together. In the meantime the Government was investigating the position (rom the legislative point of view. He Thought it would be realised by both sides that any agreement arrived at on Lhe lines he had indicated would be of considerable assistance to the Government in formulating any legislative proposals that might be considered essential for the wellbeing not only of the sharemilker, but also of the dairying industry.