The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-12-08
THE LABOR QUESTION.

! NC hnpNN WIS Nv WV lllN w WV
history az state Immediately after the
war; troublesome question indeed
There was at one time quite decided
disposition on the part Of the negroes
TO go TO Liberia or TO COLOMBO in MrXi'
go, This led northern phllantmoplsls
TO hope that the vacuum in our fields
could be filed by laborors from the
silent workshops and mills Of the north.
Happily for US the negro hiatus did not
occur, and consequently we were not
reduced TO the unskilled help which
was offered from the north, Another
circumstance in this connection was
also altogether in our favor The
threatened scarcity Of labor put many
u southern gentlemen and theoretical
man Mt the business practically-at the
plow handles Health, purse aud mor'
ais all were benefited by ii, Thus it Is
that our blessings sometimes come to
US very adroitly disguised,
There can never be anything like
real scarcity of field help in Texas, be-
cause the old plantation system is prac'
tically superseded by the western idea
of small farms especially is this true OF
the north and northwestern sections
Of the state, Perhaps the only dilI'
Guilty is, that one man can make much
more than he can gather, particularly
of cotton, The effect of this is to re.
duce that crop to the gathering capacity
OF the planters, an advantage in and Of
itself Of no mean character when we
remember all the good results of crop
Investigation which have become 80
apparent within the last few years in
Texas
Most OF the large colonies, now COM
ing in from the north, are Independent
of the labor question, either considered
with regard to their fields or their do.
nestle affairs. The secondary good
effect is, the example held up to our
own people whose education, under the
old labor system of the country, greatly
conduced to the aggravation of the
evils of the short labor supply. The
scarcity Of laborers has also taught us
an excellent lesson in economy. Labor
may be wasted like any other valuable
commodity, and we have learned to
employ it only in those directions and
for those objects which promise to pay
the largest and surest dividends upon
the outlay,
The system of small farming, now sc
generally adopted in Texas, simpliie'
the labor problem, and adds many mil
lions to the taxable values Of the state
besidesblt renders the country selrsus
tanning, and, in consequence, perlecLl!
independent of other neighboring states
One means of securing plenty of labo
is to have plenty of provisions to feed i
with. We ought to pay moro attention
to growing hogs and saving our bacon,
There is, perhaps, no country on cart
more perfectly adapted to hograisin
than Texas. The animal does well a
the time-remNins healthy when i
other states disease Stays its tens c
thousan ds-and feed is necessary onl
when the fattening process commences
These advantages ought to be sutlicier
, to insure not only abundant supple
, for home consumption, but large eN
} cess for expectation,
Let no man be deferred from comm
: to Texas by reason of a short labor SUI
ply. There is plenty here for all desire
= able purposes, and the supply will nj
decrease as the country grows eide
When we reflect that by reasons of on
mild climate the cheapness of labo
: and other advantages, the poor live ,
0 less expense than elsewhere, the It'd
naturally drifting this way will neyC
+ be less. However, for these self ssam
reasons it is not always reliable, becau,
e three or four months work will sufliC
9 for the maintenance of family for
t year, and only when the purpose
formed to become rich will the eAo
be continuous.
r Col. II. Y. KURLOCH, land specul'