§ 65. Brigadier Petoasked the Minister of Agriculture the amount deducted weekly out of the agricultural wage of a 27W European voluntary worker living at an agricultural hostel in respect of board and lodging; whether any specific amount out of that deduction has to be spent daily on food; and on what items the total deduction is expended.
Mr. T. WilliamsUnder a recent order of the Agricultural Wages Board the amount which may be deducted from the wage of a worker aged 19 years and over for board and lodging in a hostel provided by my Department, is 35s. per week. The order does not specify how much of this amount is in respect of food. Expenditure on the hostel service includes the provision and maintenance of the buildings, heating and lighting, the cost of food and staff, laundry, cleaning materials and the like. The sum of 35s. per week which is recovered from the residents goes only part of the way to meet this expenditure.