CAMBRIDGE FARMER'S CLUB.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 582, 12 February 1876, Page 3

CAMBRIDGE FARMER'S CLUB.

TnE usual monthly meeting of the above Club was held at the National Hotel, Cambridge, on Tuesday evening last, the ETon Every McLean, (President,) in the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting were read. Mr Johnßunciman wished to explain that what he had stated in reference to the report of the proceedings at last meeting had been misconstrued. He did not say reporters should be excluded, but n>erely wished to know how-far the reporter should be allowed to condense the remarks of the various speakers. In the last report in the Times some woids had been put ia, which altered the tenor of his observations. After some discussion on this subject -the minutes were confirmed. A letter was read from Mr J R Smith, 'dm bridge, sitting that the Boarrd fully recognised the importance of bringing into operation the Branding Act, and would take steps in that direction. A letter was also read from the the Chairman of the Hamiltoa West Township Board, stating th«t as cattle would shortly be prohibited from wandering ut large, the Board did not take much interest -in the .question of branding. Other Boards had been written to but no reply received. Mr J C Reynolds then, in accordance with the rules of the Club, read an essay in connection with farming, matters. It was arranged under two heads, viz :—: — " Labour," and "-Thistles," and was as follows :—: —

Wor* is one of the best educators of practical character. It brings out and regulates obedience, self control, attention, application, and perseverance, giving a man skill in his special calling, and expertnessfco deal with the affairs of ordinary life. Work is the la w>of onr being, the living principle that carries men and nations onward. -The greater number of men have to "work with their hands, as a matter of necessity/in order to live ; but all must "wort in one way or another, if they would enjoy life as it ought to be enjoyed". Labour-may be a burden and a chastisement, bufrit is also «,n honour and a glory, and witheubitttofehingean beaccomplished. Civilisation and all that is great in man comes through <wx>rk. 'Idle-ness is the curse of man not labour. Life must needs be disgusting alike to the idlo rich man as to the idle poor muu, who has no work' to do, or having -work, will not do it. The Kiuty of industry -applies to flll classes and conditions of society. All have their work to do in tfceir -respective conditions of We, the rich a* as the poor. The gentleman by -birth tind education, however richly he may be "endowed with worldly possessions, oaanot but ieel that he is m duty bound to -contribute towards the general well-being" <in which he shares. He cannot be satisfied with being fed add maintained by the labour of others, without making some suitable returns to the society that upholds hits. An honest highmindod man would revolt at the ideaoi sitting down to and enjoy ing a feast, and then going away without paying his share «f the reokoning. To be idle and useless is neither an honour nor a privilege, «aud men of average endowment combined with honesty of purpose, will feel such a condition to be incompatible wibh real honour and true dignity. ( The remainder 6/ the rtpirt toill It found in to-day* supplement )

( Continued from page 3 ) Men have thought before now that they Could take refuge from trouble and vexation by sheltering themselves a,B it were irt a world of their own. The experi ; mcnt has often been tijed, and always with one result. You cannot escape from, anxiety and labour ; it is the destiny, of humanity. Those who shirk, from facing trouble, "find that trouble comes to them. The indolent may contrive that he shall have less than his share of the world's ■vrork to do, but nature proportioning the instinct to the work, contrives that the little shall be much and hard to him. The man who has only himself to please finds, sooner or later, and probably sooner than later, that ho has got a very bad master; and the excessive weakness which shrinks from responsibility has its own punishment too, for where great interests are excluded little matters become great, and tho same, wear and tear of mind that might have been at least usefully and healthfully expended on the real business of life is often wanted in petty and imaginary vexations, such as breed and multiply in the unoccupied b?ain. Constant useful occupation is wholesome, not only for the body but for the mind. The slothful man drags himself indolently through life, whereas the energetic man is a source of activity and enjoyment to all who comes within reach of hie influence. Men of trained working faculty so contract the habit of labour that idleness becomes intolerable to them ; and when driven by circumstances from their own npecial line of occupation, they find refuge in their pursuits. The diligent man is quick to find employment for his leisuio ; and he is able to make leisure when the idle man finds don? " Hi hath no leisure who useth it not." Many great things have been done during times of leisure, by men to whom industry had become a second nature, and who found it easier to work than to be idle. Any one to bo a successful farmer should know how to do every kind of work on a farm and also what a day's work is ; or, how can he tell, when those in his employment, have done their dnty. Some people* think any one can farm and get a living theiofrom, without work or previously learning the general management of carrying on farming in any shape or form ; but those arriving at such conclusions, when put in practice for a few years, frequently find to their cost that money is easily spent in acquiring that cxpeiier.ee which is necessary and only obtained by one's own hands. , Employers of every class are continually complaining of both sexes of the working class, of not being up to their j work or able, to perform their duties with any skill. As a rule the labouring classes are not efficient in their calling, and have io be taught how to do their work when meu and women instead of in their youth,, .md why is this, in whom is the fault ? The parents and employers are to blame to a very £reat extent, the former in not enforcing their children to do as they are bid, and the latter for not taking sufficient interest in those in their employment. Employers should instruct boys and feel it a duty'to shew them how to do work in good style, and to encourage them by .speaking kindlyand impressing the iraport*nce of doing woik the right way. I consider it the duty of every employer to beach those in his employ or at least all minors how to do everything 1 in connection with his business or profession ; there would then not be the complaint so often made that the servants are useless. Those parents having childreu to go to service should enquire and know fhe character of the master or mistress and study the welfare of their children by securing place* whore they would be taught ~o work and labour honestly for a livelihood. How few parents ever care or -hink of an} thing else, but obtaining for their children, a high wage and thus often sacrificing the means of obtaining that knowledge to become skilled labourers, and bye and bye wheie they are grown up, instead of securing good places •\nd high wages 'is first-clasis servants, they havo a difficulty in procuring a situation within the district they ai-e known. Parents should be very strict and particular in seeing that their children do as their master or mistress bids them ; and not, as is too often the cose, encourage them af home to toll all the little tales of what they oil'! illtveatmfnt., for frequently youngsters are troublesome to manage, and when made to do work as it should be done, think they aie roughly dealt with. There is not that respest and kindness shewn to the working chits, especially the more intelligent as there should be; nor is there a sufficient allowance made in the value of work done by a good workman And an indifferent one A servant to gain respect and his employpr'9 confidence, must first prove himself vorthy of such, and to <lo this he must lake an inteieht in his employer's welfare. A servant should be paid according to what he is woith, Some will do their work in good style, without looking to be told every particular in connection therewith, and a fair day's work as well : .vhile others know how to do nothing, or very little, without being shown, and then' not do more than hall as much as a good and skilled labouier; yet, because; lie has been working as many hours, thinks he is ent £'cd to as much pay, and -ays.he has woiked h.ird and can do as much a 4 any man. Neither will he listen to reason ; for, by so doing, he knows perfectly well he will be forced to j.dmit of the superiority of him who understands what he is fibout I havo v ieard some state that no labourer in worth more than «o much — yet will give within a few shillings per week for a mmi •vho is not in reahty woith more than half of what he gets. I maintain that some men are as well worth 6s per day as jthers are 43] and also 1 some are as cheap at 30fl a week as 6ther3 are at 15s. But whether any farmer can afford to givo (>s a day or not — even to a fiist-class workman — in regular employment, must be to his own judgment, bat my impres2ton is that labour is too high' according to

the pi esprit pricey obtained for farm produce, There cannot be a fixed rate of wages- ( Men who walk long 1 distances to work at out-of-the-way-places, and in water, being exposed to various hardships, should and must be batter paid than ho v> ho lives within easy distance of work and regular employment, ft is a great mistake to givo nil day-labourers the same wage, for by so doing, the energetic and most persevering are no£ enconruged as they deserve to be, and it tendß to make servants careless to excel, ff we would have good serv.uit.i, careful, industrious, and honest, they niust bo treated with respect, trusted, aud paid in accordance with the amount of Ntork done: Three fir&t.class servants w'll do as much work as 6ve indifferent one?, and with a tonth ot the looking after, and why should they not he paid as much. Labourers in regular employment, more especially those living on the farm or within easy distance of work, should be ready and willing to commence at seven in the morning ; and it ought to bo the rule with farmers for their men to begiu work at this hour, and then taking the year through, the labourer to leave off at five ia tho evening, will not be at his work over oiG[ht hours a day, as at timed he is hindered with rain, and frequently — in doing odd work cSpec ally — he wII have to walk a £oxl distanco befoie com- j mencing big work. The working classes, if they are contented with a fair wage, and continue in steady employment, might live very comfortably and lay by ft good few pound* every year an well. They have not the care and anxiety of the employer, and it matters Httlo to them whether wool is worth s>ixpenc'j or eighteen pence per lb, or whether ho gets good prices or not for his productions— when a labourer's work is over he is at easo in mind if not in body, but not so with his employer. A fair measure of work is good for mind as well as body. Man is an intelligence, sustained and preserved by bodily organs, aud their actjvo exercise is necessary to the enjoyment of honlih It is not work, but overvork, that is hurtful ; and it is not hard work that is injurious so much as monotonous, hopole-s woik. All hopeful work is healthful; and to be u-efu!ly and hopefully employed is one of the great secrets of happiness Brainwork in moderation is no more wearying thin any other kind of work j duly regulated it promotes health and bodily exercise ; aud where due attention is paid to the physical system, it, seems difficult to put more upon a man than he can bear. Merely to eat, drink, and sleep ones way idly through life is vastly ino:e injurious. To over. work the brain is exhausting and destructive, according as it is in excess of nature. But over-work is always had economy, it i 9 in fact great wuste, especially if conjoined with worry ; indeed worry kills far moro than work does — it frets, excites, and consumes the body". Overwork and worry have both to be guarded aguin&t.