FARM LABORER'S WAGES.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 585, 19 February 1876, Page 3

FARM LABORER'S WAGES.

Sib,— Wonld yon kindly permit a'farm laborer, througli the medium of your valu iblo paper, to offer his rsuionstrauce against the disposition of some of iht* prominent 'former* hereabouts to prolong the hour* ortlJb^«nd alio the tendency to reduce wages. SiiouMl'-thwy. as their wiuh per your ptper suti fofth/jfofuW tho laborer to work nine or tou hourf -dtoily, at tho tame rate of piy vow current, it would bo the meam of causing tho great majoritf of tho able-bodied ■ingle young men who *ro u')le to do a good days work to wok oth'r einp ovmcnt, as (or iimauoe tho swamp, navmnc, or the bu»h. ll is true, men in the bush hivo to work ten hours daily, buttb>onam»iJ»»(iocan and will use himself will get ft oin twenty -five to thirty •hillings per weak and found. As regards the seven hours, only •omutimof obtainod, at »taled by Mr Runciman, from my own experience, I can assert th \t I hate worked, during tbo harvent for Mr Walker, Monavnle ttation and that the average bourn of work approached ne irer ton than eight, not that we were askqd to work more than eitrht hours, but the woik. was to bo dono with, generally r« appearance of ram .and we had so much interest in our employer* welfare aud respect for him ad a man, that, we voluntarily worked so long on a fine da\ th it we supped by candlelight. JNow as a general rule would not, any set of men who deserro the name of men, work a* occ.»§ion might nece-«Haie all hours for the firm re, thvt v, 1 he d.'SM-ved it by 'his conduct is Ah omplo^or But do nut tuke away tht> comcion-nobs thut we are only compelled to work eight hours and tbut whe' hor we will or no we have to work from »u to mx, Ilko iMr C'ark'o poor BeneJicts, or thi) really nood workero »il! pu l ! up *takt'« and ect. Cot one of those would be homu of-labor-clongatoia, work ilongaide of mo ci jlit hours an \ : if he don't confess thut his auptulluoiid viUhtv ! is exp^ndi'd then I'll ti-ll him wimt cihaLi-'spearj taid in tha 10th act of (Jynibalino. ! Long houra and snia.ll wages w'll "gat you ' poor workers and miserable drones who have not the spirit to fii';e hoi 1 of something more payable wiib, thorter houiß, and whyP aimp.y because they wo.ild bi»e to work harl It is not the time that altogether does tho work. It is tho contiuuiue energy, tho pliy of the whole alrengtb. Well, keep this Uu Tor night hours and more work will be dono th>in m fifteen hours where the sole objuot'is to pUt n the time, not tJ get to inuoh worli at one. I hare worko i ten hours daily, and fire Lour* daily over time in England, and in that po-io<l liiiV© no; done «o mucU work » I li no don > hero'iu eight hours. I hue «orl k od in tin* •Vmflrii'a'B and m most ol the ITu.'iisli c domes, here and in tlio old o mntry, au.l I fi id it all the «;>rut>, nz : blioft houi« and work, long hqur« a.d ki<l lime. Good niau cliojae the ■former, loalers the litter. A furnn'v whsbo profits hinge upon the wages he givei his laborers hno more fit to hare u farm thin I am to tell when a new budge will be erected at Cum bridge Farmer* of Wmkato in solemu conclave 08ne.ii bled, tho' we pjor Übtn-t rs ln»e to beg you urother uoraij of Iho earth for leave to toil, fill not your .u^trous omniums for meant to reduce iii to the ataLus of the labo era of the nwtlior ciuntrics. Tlio laborers of the W'uikuto alreudr lafk ol tins bi-ing tlio ai>n of tho f»nu^M. Jt reminds a\u of a &tjrj & 8 loe uaker lold me when woi kn.g in u furm-liouso in thooid oouniry, tin.in o ' Hie vvintcr. He had ti habit of sitting very close to 'he fire, and ilie madam of the houso always thicw :i thich cloth over the back of tnc eliuir. He enqui ed what, it was fir, and she tjld him it wua to L-ep him fiotn getting a weak back ux tiie neut wis veiy mjauoUs to (ho spine, wbui ihe son wi.o was a very taudul fellow «poL.' up and told him that hut mother wnut. d it io proteut the back vi the chair. — 1 uin, &c, Qkh-QiME WilsuS. L'auibudge, February 11.