L922.] 



MiLKixd by Contract. 



1st 



The following communication has been received from a 

 correspondent : — 



M'lVn "The principle of paying piece-work 



Contract rates ^ or mai y a o r i cu l tura l operations is 

 very old-standing, but its adoption in the 

 tending of livestock is a comparatively new departure, and in 

 certain cases is impracticable. For a considerable time it has 

 been customary for small bonuses to be paid to stockmen, 

 shepherds, etc., for each animal successfully reared or fattened, 

 and in some localities milking cows have been let out on a 

 hiring system. 



Recently a large firm of dairymen, with over 400 cows on 

 the outskirts of London, have contracted for the care and 

 milking of their herd. Owing to the general fall in the price 

 of agricultural products, this firm was faced with the alterna- 

 tive of reducing individual wages or obtaining a greater output 

 per man. Methods were therefore sought for placing their 

 business on a sound economic basis, and it was finally agreed 

 between the firm and their employees that piece-work rates for 

 milking and tending the cows should be paid. The rate agreed 

 to is 4s. per cow per week, and each man is now milking 16 

 cows against 12 before the agreement. In addition each man 

 has a cottage or 3s. per week in lieu, and milk. The day's 

 work is done in two periods; the first commences at 4.30 a.m. 

 and finishes at 9.30 a.m. During this period the cows are 

 fed, milked, the sheds and mangers are cleaned and the animals 

 are again fed. The second period commences about 12.30 p.m. 

 The cows are milked at 4 p.m., after which the milk pails and 

 ehurns are scalded ready for use the next morning, and the day 

 is finished about 6.30 p.m. The farm steward supervises the 

 head cowman. Milk records are taken weekly and thus care- 

 less milking is quickly detected. 



It is stated that the men appear satisfied with the arrange- 

 ment and no falling off in the milk supply or condition of the 

 cows has occurred. 



The dairy is run on town lines, i.e., the cows are always 

 housed, and when yielding below 6 quarts of milk per day they 

 are sold for slaughter. Under the above conditions it is com- 

 paratively easy to adopt factory methods, but in country herds 

 it would be much more difficult to arrange an efficient svstein." 



