FARM RELIEF

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 April 1938, Page 3

FARM RELIEF

SCHEME IN TE AWAMUTU DISTRICT. GOODS RESULTS ACHIEVED. The success of the farm manager relieving scheme that has been in operation in Te Awamutu district during the past year was outlined by Mr 11. D. Cavers, of Te Awamutu, at the Waikato sub-provincial conference of the Farmers' Union. Mr Cavers explained that the objects of the scheme were firstly to make available the services of experienced men in the event of a farmer being unable to carry out his farming operations. The scheme would also enable experienced men io be available when the farmer wished to take a holiday and in cases where farm labourers had left at short notice. The scheme would further bridge the gap when the farmer was endeavouring to obtain suitable help.

A labour committee, said Mr Cavers, had been set up by the Te Awamutu and Ohaupo branches to administer the scheme, which was to be confined to Union members only and. as finance was a major question, it had been decided to form a group with each Union member being invited to subscribe at the rate of £1 to the fund for the first year. "When a farmer became a group member he would be entitled, in the event of sickness, to the services of a manager for a fortnight at half rates of pay,” explained Mr. Cavers. “The group member would always have first preference to the manager's services.

During the first nine months the scheme had been in operation the manager had been employed for 32 weeks, while a further man had been employed during the holiday period for 10 weeks. ' The group membership fee at this stage had been reduced to 10s and the sickness benefit from two to one week. It had been also decided to carry the' original members on for a further year as financial members and to confine the manager's services to group members. This rule, however, when a non-union member required a man the manager was sent, provided the farmer joined the union. This had assisted to increase the membership of the union.

While the committee had not yet decided upon its policy for the coming year, it hoped to reduce the group membership fee to 5s and to enforce the rule providing that all union members bad to be group members before obtaining the services of a manager.

It might also be considered advisable to invite neighbouring branches of the union to join the Te Awamutu group in order that a permanent manager could be appointed.

It was the aim of the scheme to have other groups follow this procedure in order that managers could be exchanged during the busy periods.

It was considered by the Te Awamutu committee, concluded Mr Cavers. that should other branches lake up the scheme the organisation could be extended at little cost to assist in the organisation of the whole farm labour problem. Mr Cavers was thanked by the conference for his work in connection with the farm manager scheme, and it was decided to send a copy of his report to the provincial conference.