Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-01-23
Labor.


The farmer has many difficulties TO contend
with at the present time. In many instances
he is in debt, for money loaned or articles
purchased at time when money did not have
more than third or ut most half of its present
purchasing price. To pay one hundred dollars
now requires products TO an amount that three
years ago would have readily brought from two
hundred and Nifty to three hundred dollars.
Onc'cffcct of the contraction is thus seen to ruin
persons involved in debt, which before the
contraction they could have paid without much
difficulty.
The fees and salaries Of officers and ST atc and
county taxes have not been materially reduced
Shilc the value Of the products, from which the
farmer gets money to pay these assessments,
has greatly decreased. Farm products arc now
so low that it is natural for farmers to reason
that it is cheaper TO buy than to raise them
Think of bacon, clear ribbed. dry salt sides at
$500 per hundred pounds, and shoulders at
$2.25 to $3.50 per hundred, and the question
at once suggests itself, can afford 10 raise meat
at that price? Think of cotton at five TO seven
cents per pound and corn at forty to forty. five
cents per bushcl, and where can there be any
farmer makes and from their sale he must gel
the money to pay his taxes, buy his supplies,
clothc his family, pay his doctor bill and occa.
sionaly take drink or smoke. Unless he
grows them he cannot handle any money, and
therefore can't buy anything for the support and
comfort Of his family. These low prices deter
many young men from entering into This nvoca-
ton, the most pleasant and most healthy of all
pursuits. There is, however, one thing favora-
bic to every avocation, and that is, that the
fluctuations in money and products, which have
deceived us for the past ten years are not likely
to occur again. The price of gold and green
back is now the same, and We have q fixed
standard Ct value. Besides many articles of
necessity, and luxury, too, have declined in
proportion to the decline in value Of farm pro-
ducts. There is, however, one article of expense
10 the farmer which has not declined in price
in proportion to other articles. We refer to
hired labor, which, in this county, is almost as
high as when cotton brought fifteen cents and
corn one to one dollar and fifty cents per bushc
Labor must como down, and its reduction in price
can only be accomplished by frmncss and union
among the farmers.
We lay down the proposition that lnborer
in this county at tho present prices Of farm
products cannot make moro than five dollars
per month on good land, clear of expenses.
Wc say, therefore, labor must fall from it's
present demand Of $40 per month or fifty
ccnts per day. If good hand rents land
and pays one third for tho rent, and makes
800 bushels Of corn and two bales Of cotton
worth sey6hty dollars, thcn no would have
200 bushols Of corn and $iG.G7 in money
His corn ut tho crib is worth $50, making
his crop worth $i2G.G7. Ills oxponses would
be 60 bushols of corn for horse feed, worth
S25; IL bnshcls for broad, worth IS; l,OOC
bundles of fodder, worth $40; 200 pounds o
bacon, worth hero $l2; blacksmith account
$40; guano, $40, interest on yaluo Of horse
and wear and tear Of TOOLS Sc; aggrogatine
S78, tho profit to him boing but $48 67. Tbi.
ia on tho snpposition that ho has good land
good horse powor and cash to lay in his sun
plies which must DO of tho cheapest kind
ltis true land owner has many other sour.
ces OF income which onabe him to pay NOR,
ior labor than it could mako generally o,
rented lands. Tho loose aboror, who has no
money or horse power or cash to buy supplies
had bcttor hire at tivo dollars month thar
to try to farm. Thoy would do 80, too, wore
itnot for tho lion law, wlcl, enables them t,
| keep soul and body together and to feel fret
to roam by day and night. when thoy dosiro
4 We want 10, eco II repealed and labor brough
down to fair rGgares. !, 4 s. I. s S. 'li