The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-08-31
AGRICULTURAL DEPAHTnENr
Farm EEeiD,
BY ALEXANDER HYDE.

4. Farm fseIp.
BY ALEXANDER HYDE
One of the greatest drawbacks in modern
agriculture is generally considered to be
the difficulty of procuring good farm help
ut any reasonable rate. The owner of a
$4,000 farm said to us, within year or
two, ~ have hired the last man | will ever
hire by the month ] engage q man in the
spring, and he works with some faithful
ness for month or two, and when | get
into the pressure of business he strikes for
higher wages, or, hearing of some better
situation elsewhere, leaves me without GER
emony. | am tired of waiting on hrelings
that are not ready for work till o'clock
in the morning. and must quit at in the
evening The b me of all the trouble
with help, both in the kitchen and on the
farm, is usually put on the man and the
maid, not on the master and mistress. We
are far from thinking or saying that SER
vants-beg pardon, we mean hired men and
women are immaculate, always capable
and faithful, and that masters and mistresses
beg pardon again, we mean employers
are selfish and tyralnical; but we do think,
and are bold to affirm it, that the employer
has the long arm of the lever in his or her
hand that, as between capital and labor,
the power is with the capitalist. IT'S the
employer who is the positive quantity in
this relation. He does the hiring. think
ing, planning, governing
Moreover, as a general rule, as is the
master so is the man. The former inn
presses himself on the latter, not the latter
on the former. The relation between en-
ployer and employed is analogous to that
between parent and child. There is not the
same degree of respect and obedience ex-
acted from a servant as from child, nor is
the relation so permanent, but for the time
being the will of the master governs, or
should govern, and the duty of the man is
to obey. Not every father knows low to
make his children mind, but whenever these
are disobedient we do not blame them alto
gether. A large share of the defect of
children is, or shouldlbe, cha. geabc to the
want of tact on the part of parents,
1t may be said that a father has a right
to govern his children, and that the innate
love of children for their parents gives the
latter greatly the advantage over employ
ers. VerI true; and therefore the father
is more responsible for the conduct of his
children than is the employer for his SER
wants; but the employer also has the right
to command those whom he employs, and
they are under obligations to obey, and for
any unfaithfulness on their part the law and
common sense hold HIM responsible The
obedience and responsibility are limited,
but ther exist just as truly in the relation
of master and servant as in that of parent
and child; and we therefore hold that the
common custom of laying all the blame of
the trouble with farm help on the employed
is unjust
We have had something to do in our day
with the superintendent of schools, and
when we go into school and hear the teach
or berate the scholars as pack of numb.
skulls, disobedient little imps that can't be
taught to study or behave, we consider it
prima .facie evidence that the school master
is not master certainly does not master
the situation in which he is placed, and the
sooner he leaves it the better for all con-
cerned. We have put another man in the
same disorderly, unteachable school, and
order came out of confusion, and docility
out of unteachableness. The great trouble
was not in the school, but in the school
master.
Why should the case be different with the
owner of farm and the men whom he en-
ploys? We do not believe it is. There is
an indescribable something in some men
which shows that they were born to COM
mand. They can lead gang of men to
work, and without harsh words, or violence,
~ s'AN"eot VI any thiHb VI thC sOIt,
late them to labor, and get more work out
of them in eight hours than others can in
twelve. There is no chatting between such
employers and the employed, and when the
days work is done much has been accom-
plished, and the fatigue is not so great as
where less results have been effected at the
expense of greater friction.
There is as much difference in farmers as
in other folks. We do not expect every
school-master or every boss workman in
any industry to govern those under his au-
thority one equally well with another; and
when man finds himself incapable of con-
trolling those who should be in subordina-
ton to him, he should resign his position
to some one who can do it, and not lay all
the blame on the insubordinates. A farmer
who cannot control even one man should
not undertake the management of large
farm, requiring many hands for its success
full conduct. On a small plantation he can,
by his own industry and by hiring some
help by the day. succeed. The executive
ability of other landlords will enable them
to go into field with half dozen teams
and score of men, and set them all at work
advantageously without any fretting
The very oxen of such men seem to feel
the inspiration of their presence, and when
they take the whip in hand and say 600"
the dumb beasts respond with quick step
A business man of our acquaintance, who
has been accustomed to handle hundreds of
operatives in his mills, and has recently
turned his attention to farming, says he
feels in his element when he is in the field
with half dozen teams in his eye, all
smoking with work. IT'S literally his eye
that causes them to smoke, for he is q man
of few words, seldom, if ever, frets, and
commands with still, small voice. Pos
sibly his commands are sometimes disobey.
ed, but he has wonderful power in Sc
curing the cooperation of man and beast.
What we want to impress on farmers is
the fact that all the blame in this much
abused question Of capital and labor does
not rest with the laborers. There is know
how in managing our help, and farmers
should study the subject, and learn the
great secret Of securing cooperation of the
employed; for 1t is only when the master
and the men pull together that any great
results are accomplished. We would not
give much for teacher who cannot SO
control the public opinion of his school
that there shall be manifest little antagon-
ism to his wishes. If he pulls one way and
the scholars another, he may, by sheer
force of intellectual superiority, drag them
along with him; but it is mighty hard work,
but how easy it is when all are working in
the same direction