The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-06-27
The Earm.Labor Question.

iH1NS'u VI ucCIcdSiIIS the hollTs OF ldhOl
must decrease the wages, or culture hi
farm without profit The farmer ha.
always paid as high for labor, in proper
ton to his profits, as any other occupa
ton: aud if the statistics were taken If
reference to the prosperity of farm la
bOrcrs, Is compared to those of mechan
les, it would he found that the f;trlnel
LAYS up much more clear money at the
end Of the year 1t is not seldom tina
YOU find Young man who has WORKED
seven or eight years OH Il farm with q
thousand to tiitcnn hundred dollar,
ahead, as the savings from his wages
while il is very rare instance that {
mechanic has done so well
An old story illustrates the safety o
the farm laborer as compared with hi,
employer:
Two fast triend>, who owned farms
adjoining, and often did their work to
gcther, became so much attached, tha,
when one of them sold his farm
he concluded, instead of moving
away, to work for the other, ano
having done so for ten wears, letting hi;
wages run, it WAS found that his friend
could only pay by deciding him his farm
which had been eaten up 10y the labor
This was accordingly done, when the
one who had lost his farm said to the
one who had gained it: 1--WE have
always worked together, and now must
work for Won. And as the story goes
he got his farm back again in ten
years.
We do not agree with those who think
the hours of labor ON the farm must be
more than in other occupations When
farming shall he reduced to as perfect a
system a. manufacturing, all its details
can be arranged within ten hours, or
even eight; but reduction in the hour,
of labor must be accompanied 10y Il re-,
ductioA in the price per day, unless that
labor can hc made as effective as before.
And here is the grand point to be- con.
sidered
\ day. unskilIed labor represents a
certain amount of work, performed
simply by physical force, with little or
no exercise OF brain. 1t is this element
of hrain-power which must gradually re
ducc the hours of labor Every labor
saving machine relieves human hands
of 50 much toll and every year many
new machines take the place of hand
labor. These machines require SOME
decree OF skill to run them, and
We thus enter upon the era Of skilled
labor in farming. The time must soon
come when skill in managing machin.
cry will regulate the measure Of com
pen,ation The higher the skill, the
fewer hours will be necessary to earn =
livelihood Education is to h9 the royal
road to leisure. refinement and man.
hood.
Every year renders unskillel labor
less valuable to the farmer. We have
already solved the problem of perform
ing every operation in the cutting and
securing OF hay 10y machinery; we
NOW, ted rake, load, pitch oft, and NOW
away by horsepower We need but
one link (the binder) to accomplish
the same for grain. and this will soon hC
invented
We therefore need men who under
stand the principles of mechanics 10
supcrintcnd farm operations, and the
laborer must, at least, become an expert
in the use of ma Chincrv before he can he
useful.
Every thing points now to the nitro
duction of class Of skilled farm work
men, who will require to learn their
business as mcthodically as any
mechanic, and then will he paid in pro
portion to their skill. When, 10y the
use of machinery in MI branches OF
farm labor, one man shall accomplish
as much as three to four do now br
hand, then may the hours of labor he
reduced TO eight, and the hours OF
lahorer be paid as much rs now. We
think the day is not far off when 1t will
be practicable to perform all necessary
labor on the farm during eight hours
daily, and perhaps six, and this will
Weld Il return sufficient To support the
laborer and his family.
The isolated condition OF farmers has
led them TO buy, sell, and generally
10 opcr ate individually and frequently
in opposition to each other. Nearly
every other department Of labor Is or
ganizcd and each operates a. unit OF,
any question pertainingto the general
interest. Why should not farmers co
operate as other departments OF labor
do? They seem never to consult thS'l
mutual interest. but in hiring hands
evidently regare it IA smart to compete
with each other, and sometimes tempt
the laborer to break is contrat 10y offer
ing more Farmers have long enough
been at the mercy Of every other occu
patton hy want of unity among them
selves. Will they never see that in unity
Is strength?
lfagriculturists would form themselves
into cooperative societies, itwould so0l
cause a greater uniformity in the pric,
/ of products, and easier sale of the sur
plus, greater uniformity and less tluctu
alton in the price Of labor, and say,
them many times from eNorhitan
wages.
! 4 county society composedof II boil
Of the best farmers, would be NOR
likely to decide upon scale of price
which would be just, than il left t" ind
viduals This would prevent any a
tempt to over-reach each other woq u
m AXE wages uniform over large di
tricts and lie better for lahorer and en
ployer.