The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-01-20
The Labor Question.

1
Our farmers are probably more IN
terestcd in the labor sqAestion> than
any other, aud we will give them the
benefit of the thoughts of some clni-
inent farmers of Davidson county,
upon the subject. The Farmers Club
of that county has been discussing the
relative merits of the "sharc" and the
"cash" system of labor for some time
past, majority of the speeches being
in favor of the latter system. The
farmers of Maury county follow. the
former plan almost entirely, proba-
bly, from necessity, and it may inter-
est them to know what SO distinguish
ed a farmer as Gen. HARDING has TO
say against it: ~
General w. G. Harding said that he
had no experience except with the
cash system. He had never cropped
with any man. His judgement was
against it. He objected to it on ac-
count ofits influence upon the labor
err. II was especially calculated 10
make the inferior labor with which
they were contending. The negro, i'm
a majority of cases, would be satisfied
and contentcd by doing only that
which was necessary to- feed and
clothe him, and hardly that. AS a
partner, he was indisposed to do any
more. On the share system they
would work only two or three months
in the year. The negro should be
paid promptly and treated justly.
Success depended very much upon
the contract made with the laborer.
He employed a large number oflabor-
ers, to whom he annually paid be-
tween $1,000 and $1,000. He made a
contract to pay each laborer half of
his wages at the end of every month,
and the balance at the end of every
year. He paid his efficient hands SD
per month aud added 81 and So per
month during the harvest, which last
ell with him three or four months.
He paid them extra because extra la
Dor was required. He charged each
laborer with loss of time in accOr-
dance with the rate Of his wages.
They were made responsible for the
safe keeping of tools and the proper
care of teams. lie allowed each la
borer two acres of ground to cultivate
for himself, and allowed them to use
his implements, and were required to
pay fifty cents each for a neglect to
| replace them. 1t was said that the
white labor was more reliable than
that of the negro. He was disposed
to give the negro fair trial, and un-
less supported he would become
thief and a burden upon the commu-
nifty. The share system was doing,
great injury, as it encouraged idle
ness among the negroes. In the be-
ginning the farmer, perhaps, could do
better, but when he got in condition
ought TO pay wages. He had paid
his laborers balance of $1,000 last
Christmas. Now they made him a
kind of safety bank, and they deposit
ted about that amount with him, SUBJ
ject to their order. He thought the
laborer made as much as the farmer
and would not advocate an increase of
wages. He gave as much us he could
afford.
"What kind of labor was the most
profitable to employ" was hard
question to discuss, which g great deal
of time would be necessary. The ne
gro was among us, and as citizens of
this country the people were under
obligation to them first. The speaker
believed, from his experience, that the
negro was about as good q laborer as
could be obtained. 1t was less expen-
sive to feed him. He allowed each of
his hands-from 80 to 40 in number
four pounds of bacon and a peck of
meal per week, and he didn't believe
a white man could be found who
would be satisfied to live on that. Be-
sides this there were more than 30 or
40 of the wOrkmen's wives and chill
dren to support The great misfor-
tune attending their freedom was that
the women thought that it was not in
their province to work, and that the
husbands must support them in their
idleness. They had false notion
that women were too good to work.
lie felt himself in the minority
when he expressed his opposition to
the theory which had obtained that it
was best to throw the negro over
board, and let him go to Guinea.
Those who did so, and refused to EN-
ploy him, would regret it.
General Harding then compared
the difference between white and ne
gro labor. lie thought the more in
telligence the laborer possessed the
more miserable did he become. He
remarked that he thought himself in
a woful minority as to the question of
immigration. He was opposed to it,
and to dividing large farms into small
ones.
what is the best system to follow
in regard to the employment of labor
to give wages or an interest in the
crop!'
Upon this subject DIR. W. Williams
presented the following paper:
The objections to hiring farm labor,
says one, is that it is expensive and
troublesome to beard them; that
their demands for money are fire.
qucnt, often when not due that they
are usually careless, leaving hoes,
axes, baskets, plows and gear where
last used, neither shutting doors nor
gates-usually seeking the fiEc when
cold, the shade when warm, and if
they are pressed during the busy sea-
son, the hireling fleeth and 10 one
} pursucth, for we have no law TO COM
pei him to abide by his contract. His
chief study seems to be, how much of
your money and provisions he can get
and how little he will work for YOU.
The advantages ofcropping on the
shares are: The croppcr takes an in
terest in making good crop, and
works from daylight till shutdown,
taking care ofhis farming implements
that you can call on him to work
for you. and he answers cheerfully-
That you can dispose of your entire
crop when, and as you like.
Build comfortable houses near
springs; rent the house with a garden,
fuel, pasture for mich COW. half a
dozen pigs. and a riding horse, to a
man with a family then furnish as
much ground, work stock, seeds, and
farming implements as they need to
raise crop of corn, hay. oats. wheat,
and potatoes, giving him certain
part of the entire crop for wages, get
him TO make rails, fences, cut wood,
ETC., by the job in time of leasure, to
paw his rents in work, and both par