New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-01-29
wo6K AND wAGEscOUNTRYDEHaND
CONDITION. TREATaEST AND PAY oF
WORKNEN UPON AMERICAN FARMS

W0RKMEN UPON AMERICAN fAhho-
circular appeared in The rRIBrSE, T.zses, aaf
AgreHifxriSt during last September asking 'S'orna-
lion OF farm ess With regard the Wages asd Cont
ton Of bird LaIours upon Fdrus throughout the
country. In reply, eighfy-egb. letters have esen
received tie substance Of which is below given 70
the Iublc.
Thee returns .ho Y s;rikingly he ju-: nov eH-
trenely important sct that while the seaboard cities
ere full Of unemployed ana depressed aborers, tne
farrsefs even in tie couplranvey immediate VI
cify cannot obtain tie necessary help to carry on
Their operations. Sesenty-Iins out OF lightweight
cell for more laborer. sud by seventeen of thsse tney
aye pre.,inely demanded Taese letters show 81 az
ersee Of sl3e so ant found as the annual wages OF
an inielligen, form hand, when employed by the
veal: slJ so and found per month, when employed
in the Summer months osly by which has been gen
orally understood the term Of egh rrorhs Of Gctve
farm operations, and rs cents dsy rEs board,
when hired by the day.
There ave 2,5oO eco farmers in the United States,
Of whom nearly every one, probably, would AZ this
moment give home and abundance Of good food 20
sny man ready iu return to give moderate amount
Of lsbor with his hands, with the addition OF wages
ACCORDING 20 shl and good conduct, ~ s0)a as the
sprirc sun sofiens the around Millions OF acres
swsiiug the plow--~tsaf twenty shl "a ousbel-
,houssnos Ct ire arms in the cilies-.airsy trains
dsy sskiug gessepgersi
Comm n seIse seems 20 say give-not ssGo, bat
ro,l~ay texts 10 your unemployed. Distributs
them wirn careful n0utsrefs sSd Ia ten dsya every
Wiling nan may be p-rm1seHfty provided i)r-4ni
that hot in slavery bat ia places where avery mi
Ice is 10 manhood. For to sn Inquiry N ,ce win
I.cisl reference 10 the point whether the-e labores
ceLera.ly become propre,orS Of Ind, SIX o1ly ssy
rare sixssy Occasional while ssveniy three say
frequent while egn'y-six out OF eigaty'egit re-
pcr that thes= i@oor,rs s't at Tier npoy 'a2e
End are OF OF personal equality. 10 the free
std hopeful country then win 'hese idle arms ald
? buugry stomschs they demsGd ~ork-here it is for
then anc TO spare.
The foIlo.iDg are the questions Of the circular, 20
each Of wAica Is appended summary stateneot OF
d.. eusweTs received To the first, the table a0oYe
replies:
About hat been tie avsase rate wase' daring the
,t ye years able to3ed Of moderate ea2scitJ able
% plov sud mo found b. employer When hired By
lie esy in the onthl When hired by the noah 10
tie sumner moltki when liked By the day n harvest So,
on ,uy hired ty the month in haiyes. scis'n ouy
Wien eus.,ed for ths whole yeari
H. What are the Gsaal CT hands or reeen, emil
sr,rt unGecusorec American mPeneos an methods o.
labor hired By year and board fouud b. the employer
speaking tle En..i,h language not spsasias Ensa
R0u hands vii be taken by m ~ "th little lsss
waees. lie general reply IS tnar there Is litt'e az
fer,Lce Some give figures which Gle one-ipirsn -
third ffs han the rates above. lgaOr4nco OF tho
language makes q -lght additions Al difference, w1icn
thros ebout the West is scarcely sppreci.o.C.
ILL., Are tie Hsodty Of hired ssreaiur i boseEs 10 your
,i.iri,y native OF sn born az foreign please state o.
whs, nstion)
Eighty four reply; IL forty-fve, native Predpnln-
ate, IN ibiry foreign in nine cases h3 numbers sf5
equal.
OF the foreign born Irish and Gesmsn form the
mass. German pTedoninGtinc at the wet Nhen
pr,ieIeIce is ,Tetsed German. are nearly - 'Ais
preIerrec to Irish Scotch, EnglVh and oGeIes 70
GeTmsns.
w. Do the majority Of farmers (prop etor' OF aad' tho
chief value Of which depend upon It's scsara qrodl
employ hired lsDorer. al ir part Of the eoaa''y
Eighty six repJ-72 yes, H. De. in''e'i o., or
besoe employh laborers il appears com non thiaS
70 relt lane fOr share OF he proceeds Especially
Ia The Wet, 10 newly arrived tamae'.
v Could more labofers fnd employ eGi steadily 4rd per-
usneutis At tho rate Of wage h.Sc uaeniiensdi
Eighty.eieht reply say no. 3ssy ia summer"
- ssy YETI win erea, emph,sis and urgency
TIE Noes came from New Englsud aud ne la ne1i-
ate vicinity Of Ne g. York ami Philadelphia.
W. a. ts JrsqIent, eoaasoHE or et's@y rare occur
rene. for who have been employed as h-d hams upon
f.s. y0uI ouserysi5o the public for
port Of life dep nIen; IA up)a charity e.
Does happen Of sound boey and not Vt aten
Iepte habits
Ofs4who reply, go say very rarely" or 4" never
| I'm New-YoIk and Ne Jersey say " OcoaiiOnal; "
! lin Massacbusetts AM Marylsndl say frequent"
| To the second ques'ob-l lMassacbuseiisl says
'Yes;" cay very rarely ~ say " No."
VII Is general within your knovieise th.,
men who lave hired aboess upon farms before they
were twenty years Old have becoms Independent prope
acquired property efficient to be free from the mccarthy
Of personal labor Def re they d'tyi
EieLtJ four reply-of whom FAY - frequent ione
or two coniider it iHerHaole); q say rGrei" say
''occasionhi.'
VIII Are there many your part of,he eoua,ry
Of men scqu.d eah and positions Of iahaence
and honor who have been Previously employed hired 's
Gull ursl laboreui
Seventy. four make reply: never" rare"
! 10 "occssions" az frequent" number Of
writers dilaie On the point, AMI give multiplied n-
stanees in Their own beighb1Tho0d and experience.
Among these are mtntionsd by nsms, the Governor
OF one State, indiana and many Judges and men,
bers Of Congress.
Alum Der poin TO themselves, who, from the posi-
tic OF raw eDigrants have become owners Of farms
yelued at from s5 coo TO $4,000.
The writer may properly add, that within his own
knowledge, there several men who not more tn
fifteen years osO, we're common farm labofers, that
aIe now lar owBers and farmers on their own ac-
count employing laborers in their turn One such Is
row chief constructing engineer OF Southern rail-
road another Is erchant, at las. account conduct
ing q heavy ard profitable business in Wisconsin;
another is iswy er IN good practice another has the
eupt rinI ,ndence of steam mill, at wages OF coo
month.
TX Are majority Of agricultural ,borers hIs Qsying
up employing permanent, capital half their earGia
and ambitious having the purpose Ind otherwise 1--we
inde pendeLtyl
teen no." ore thinks one half are go; one has oo-
served that Protestant co. but that Catholics
lot.
x Do the majority Of them take their meals the
table 18th their emp oyeni
1t appears to be the almost universal custom for Ia
borer ard employer to cit at the same family table
Lot excepting the female help Il"
Two employers only living be er New-YOrk City, say