THAT BUTTER PRICE

Taranaki Daily News, 2 November 1920, Page 6

THAT BUTTER PRICE

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—ln common with many otters,. I have been much interested in reading "F.D.'s" letters in connection with your contention that the dairy farmer is the hardest worked worker and the most poorly paid. With reBard to the Plains land results, and which are used for contradicting your assertion, I may say I know nothing, but this I will say, that the majority of the farmers in the Moa district (and I doutot if there is a mora thickly populated are* in the Dominion), and particularly those on the uplands—that is, towards the mountain—will back your assertion to a man, and it would be hard to describe the conditions of toil, etc., which these men and their families have to undergo In transferring tte virgin laud into dairying paddocks. Some of this land was settled forty odd years ago, and some twenty odd years later, while there are about 2000 acres in a condition which may he termed "anyhow." Paper arguments oyer the matter serve no good purpose, and I am writing In order to make "."F.D.," or others of his line of thought, an offer, which la this: That I will put him up for a miontn, and te can use my place as a base from which he can work in making all enquiries" or observations he may think fit, and I will Guarantee that full assistance In such will be given him. If then he does not niter Ms ' view.) with regard to the life of a very large rumber of dairy fanners I shall he very much surprised. Having spent a number of years as a town worker, and 25 years as a worker, etc., on the land, I say it is ridiculous to attempt to compare country life with that of the town, and when attention is drawn to the fact that dairy farmers seem to have much leisure because of their presence in the town a couple of days a weekwell, that is a matter which close acquaintance will explain. Dairy farmers will never get rich on the product of their work, that is, focdatuffs, and it is what they do without, what they deny themselves of, they and their families, that enable thein to get their heads above water. Let "F.D.' and others just smoke over that! We have no union rules which allow us to get to or from graft at such and such a time; wo cannot choose wl-ether the day is fine or otherwise for our work. Day in and day out we haveto ■■go," and the union buss we bow too is "Madam Cow," and her hours are Imperative. We have no periods ni different classes of work, but it is all the same; we've got to "go." Some worry over the rate of going; others take it philosophically, and when too old to keep up the spe,td get their reward by turning the results of their labor over to the younger generation, wfco, naturally, must adopt improved methods with improved land. The number who have been broken ir heaith and shortened their days (particularly women), is evidently not worth considering, but I will assert that a. pioneer who converts a 100 acre farm into ploughable land and clears £2OOO or £BOOO when old age knocks hard Las earned every penny of it, and he and his family (if the hours of tyil are tal- [ lied) will have received 3d per hour. Well, as I said before, paper arguments will never ! advance the matter. Eiperienee is the best teacher, and I'm offering "F.D." the means of getting that, and I am sure others in oilier ' parts of the district round the mountain 1 would be only too pleased to do ditto. Toii . hare done the struggling dairy farmers :• • good turn. Mr. Editor, in drawing attention

to their lot, but I vioulJ ask, .a it just Ij take the richest hind in Xi-w Zealand as ; standard to argue over, as does your corres pondenr?—l am, etc..

.TOE B. SIMPSOX. Durham Road, Oct. 21. 19M.