Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-04-03

Mr.. T. b. Miner has been ventilating
himself in the question of hired men -
in the Rurai NeW Yorker and has walked
up one or two of the said hired men, ~
who breaches for Mr.. Miner as follows.
Mr.. Miners plan may work well for him,
though we doubt its wisdom there, but il
would not do in Vermont:
FAhM HELP.-Knowing the Rural is
just enough to afford an opportunity for II
presentation of all sides of question,
take the privilege of making few re-
marks on in article that lately appeared
in its columns under the title How to
make farming pro6table.' In the first
place, the writer, Mr. 7. b. Miner, is Ger
tainly old enough to know that. as gen.
eral rule, farmers are quite hard enough
on their help, without any of his prompt
ing. According to his views, hired hands
should have no more privilege or consid-
GRAFTON than an OK or horse. 1t would
be little wonder in this case, if they took
no more interest in their work and requir-
ed as constant watching! You think, Mr..
Miner, because you are rich and | am
poor, that it is your place to be u hard
laskmaster and mine, diligent toier who
must never straighten his bent back for a
few moments rest, however toilsome the
labor or hot the day AS for hard day S
work, | am glad to get it and never shirk
it, but TO work for a taskmaster of your
type-never! | know of men that started
rs poor as poor could be, and who to day
are far richer than you (?) and yet have
always had the goodwill of all about
them, which you couldn't have had, ard
have always been called "easy men tc
work for" IL title of honor of which you
acknowledge yourself undeserving The
idea of telling man to "shut up" wher
he wanted to say u few words, Just be
cause it might take moment that did moi
belong to him But you. Mr.. Miner, anC
those like you. do not hesitate to ask youl
hired man to work after dark, every few
nights, to finish field Of hay, or do some
thing you are in Il hurry for. But | tel
you, farmers, when one hand refuses tc
wash the other, both are soon in sorry
pickle, and if the employer keeps his helps
nose constantly to the grindstone during
every moment the pittance of pay enLitle.
him 10 d. SO, he should not, and must not
expect anything more from him. Yet, OF
every farm, whenever Il storm is coming
up, it's hurry! hurry! until the rain come.
down. And then, instead of saying, Boys
rest Il few minutes before going to worI
again." MIR. Miner would haze some posts
ready under the barn, on which he woull
insist that his hands, painting from theil
l., NC, I,,h
set to work. But even in hired help ther,
still remains Il good deal OF human nature
and sometimes not a little intelligence.
and lhcy are sure soon TO learn TIN, tricA
and when called upon to hurry, will do Sc
very slowly.
Indeed, under such a master as Mr. I
Is. liner, pray what encouragement il
there 10 eXertion? He beasts of huvn.
been "a hard man to work for, but s;t,.
he was good pay With regard to Til,
first part of this there will be few to mi
understand HIM; but with regard to "goo'
pay hat does the phrase generally meal
IN the mouth of hard manp" In m
experience, and | doubt not in thai o
most others, it means simply that he hire,
men at the lowest rate at which he coul,
get the class of help he wanted, wrung al
the work he possibly could out of then
AT all hours, and didn't cheat them out O
their sweat-slaned wages.
If Il man gels the goodwill of his help
and ,hcy are of the right sort, such as Mr.
Miner says he always hired, he will &c
much more and better work out of then
than if their only inducement to labor
dread of their driver tongue-ash or fea
of being shown the road. Neither i
there then any necessity OF his being C, n
stantly with them, for if sent TO the fie ,
alone each will do a fair days work with
out even thought of Sinking, On tn
other hand. with regard to the help EN-
ployed by men like Mr.. Miner, it is jus
as Mr.. Miner says: You have to be wit
them every minute. This farmers, know
to be fact, and not few among you
who in your day were hired hands also
know it likewise.-A Farm Hand, in RAJ
rat NeU Yorker.