FARMERS’ UNION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 March 1939, Page 4

FARMERS’ UNION

MEETING OF PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE. PAYMENT OF SHEARERS’ COOKS. The president, Mr Hugh Morrison, presided at a meeting of the Wairarapa Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union, held in Masterton today. Others present were; Messrs H. Bennett, E. L. Heckler, J. Campbell, A. B. Martin, J. Andrew, C. C. Jackson, H. J. Hutchings, P. Andrew, L. T. Daniell, R. E. Chamberlain, J. H. McDonald, N. Peacock, J. C. Cooper, b McGregor, A Ross, J. P. Peterson, A. Linton, W. Thomas and A. Campbell. A letter was received from the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union dealing with the remuneration of shearers’ cooks and assistants and stating that the present position gave rise to grave injustices. It was decided that the following three points in the the letter be forwarded to headquarters for consideration: — The term “shearers’ cook” should be clearly defined to mean a man or a woman in full charge of the cooking for shearers in a separate cook house. Similarly a cook’s assistant should be anyone giving full time to assisting such shearers’ cook; the term shearers’ cook should not be applied to any assistant working in the home with and under the supervision of the farmers’s. wife, daughter, other relative or permanent help; even for shearers’ cooks or cooks’ assistants there should be greater flexibility in the sliding scale of wages to differentiate between those cooking for one to six men, and for from six to 12 men; it is a hardship for one small farmer who employs a shearers’ cook to pay the same rate for one man as for 12. The extension of rural reticulation was discussed by Mr F. C. Daniell, a member of the Wairarapa Electric Power Board. Mr Daniell said his only excuse for being on the board was that his aim was to see a better distribution of power in country districts.

Mr Daniell dealt with the activities of power boards generally and went on to discuss. the position in the Wairarapa, making special mention of the existing guarantee system. In discussing the attitude of the board, Mr Daniell made it clear that he was in no way officially representing the board. The problem facing the board was that the people who had the power said if there was going to be any reduction in charges why should they not benefit? Yet within five miles of the head office in Carterton there were people who could not get power. Mr L. T. Daniell: “What we want to know is why we cannot get better representation from this end, why the Tinui and Hinakura districts cannot be reticulated and why we cannot get a better guarantee system?” Mr F. C. Daniell: “I do not agree with the board’s present guarantee system, but I do not feel justified in criticising the policy of the board at this meeting.” In reply to a question by Mr Thomas. Mr Daniell said the Public Works Department had no scheme for assisting power boards to further reticulate rural areas. It was decided to set up a committee to discuss the question of rural reticulation with members of the Wairarapa Power Board, the committee to report back to the next meeting.