Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-08-12
THE AGRICULTURAL INTEREsT.

TIE AGRICULTURAL INTEREST.
We are indebted to the New York World
forthe following compilation of facts revealed
by the Ninth Census, which it regards as ga
first-r rate free trade document" since it shows
that the manufacturers of the country with q
much smaller investment of capital, are able:
to pay their employees much better than the:
farmers can their laborers, and realize far
larger percentum upon their Investments It
is not, however for this purpose that we give
the subjoined facts and figures, cleaned from,
the census, -deferring to another occasion, all.
that relates to manufacturers rather to
show wha. mighty interest is that Of. agri>
culture, although it receives nothing in the
way of fostering care from the Government.
We are sure that, to all engaged in this noble
pursuit, these facts will possess more than or
binary interest. The tables of occupations in
the census report show that there are l2, $685.
923 persons engaged in all pursuits in this
country. Of these, 5.922,471 are engaged
in agriculture, and 2.7O7,4 21 engaged in
manufactures. OF the the agriculturists, g.
977, Ill are elassed as farmers, and are to be
taken as the proprietary class, though I'M.
questionably nine.tenths Of them work with
their own hands, and as hard or harder than
their own laborers, who number 1856 ,996.
That is to say in other words, the farmers en-.
ploy fraction less than one hand each, in
spite of the fact that the average of farms
is 1853 acres each. The number of farms is
1858, 935, and the average horsepower re.
quired to work each farm of that size would
be nearly five, or say 100000 in all. The
census shows that there are $3.50, O56 horses,
mules, and working oxen employed in agri-
culture. Six farmers and farm laborers
therefore are all allowed to serve each ten
horse power employed in agriculture. OF the
1904 ,421 engaged in manufactures, on the
other hand, there are 2,O53, 996 who draw
wages as laborers, while at least two>thirds of
the remaining 65s, 425, the entire proprietary
class in manufactures, must be presumed to
work with their own hands. Indeed, the
census only returns 42,8 persons under the
style of manufactures" the rest being
chiefly bosses Of small trades aud establish
ments, who contribute their own labor to the
sum of the gross product, without claiming
deduction for their own share of wages
These 2,7O7 ,42l manufacturing persons only
tend 2,346, l42 horsepower, and that, too,
as machinery, in much more available shape
than that Of the farmers. Hence it is beyond
question that in point of exertion of mere
brute force the farming class has to work at
least twice as hard as the manufacturing class.
How as to the rewards secured by their re.
spective labors?
The farming class has gross product of
s2,447, 53S, 65S. OF this one>third goes to
the keep and feed of the sl,525, 276.457
worth of stock which the farmers must main
tain, and to the repair of their 1886, S7S, 429
worth of machinery, while $50, 2s6, 2S5 is
paid in wages. 1t hence follows that the
2,977,711 farmers of the country divide
among themselves profit of only about $500
per capita, with no allowance made for their
own labor, which is more than half the total
labor bestowed upon their farms. This, upon
the capital invested in farms, stock, &c, a..
134 1858, 747,) is an interest of about IL DER
cent. To make $500 year on his farm and
personal hard work, his stock, truckings, &C.,
the farmer is compelled to put down the wages
OF bis Iabosers to shamefully low rate. In
fact the census certifes that the average paw
per capita, including board, of the agricul>
tural laborer, is only sl07 per annum. This,
however, is an understatement, since, to go no
further, the board of the laborer includes
lodging also in nine cases out of ten, or house.
rent, and some other privileges, which in
crease the laborer's actual wages, but in the
same measure diminish the farmers actual
profit.