The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-12-05
Causes of Scarcity Of Farm Lnborcrs.

Causes OF Scarcity or Farm LabOrrrs.
There is no use in shutting ones eyes
to the fact that farm labor, beside being
scarce. IS also asking for fewer hours of
daily labor, and at the same time for
increased compensation. and each year
becomes more dictatorial in its relation
to the employer, and it will. in the not
far distant future, be a matter of the
drawing OF clear cut line-one that
will define how much the one may de-
mand and the other concedr.
In the first place. one must needs look
to the actual fncts. and see if the
farmer, at the start, was not in q
measure responsible for this very
s arcity of labor of which he now COM
plains. Even before the war there was
u noticeable movement in respect to our
now magn:fied industries. the outgrowth
of which has been the building of thou
sands of miles OF railways, vast worSs
of internal improvement, unmeasured
miles of telegraphic and telephoni net
WORK, railway sery ce, postal service,
manufa turing. building, and oti er in
Gustrial Investments, that have demand
ed workmen by the tens of thousands,
and so necessary are all these improve
ments that they offer high rates of
wages, Offering continuous labor, and
of course a regular income. AS a rule,
this compensation has been in ex ess of
farm wages. From this it will be seen
that there has been for the last score of
years n gravitation towards this teatf
employment, and not only has it taken
the capable young men from all classes,
but it has made especial call upon the
farm boys.
Tnen. again, the outgrowth of this
industrial progress has called for
another class to be ONE teachers. pro-
fessorS, lawyers, editors, div mes. dos
tors. etc, ard rs these offices q .er good
incomes and aUnorS, devoid of the So
called drudgery of the farm, there ! ne
been another dra N upon the farm pop
ulation. 1t shows that the boys and
girls of the farm have undisputed men
tai powers aud uneNcelled alb lity, and
makes a yet grande exhibit in the, up
building of this wonderful nation.
This outlines the reasons why farm
labor is not obtainable in N, eded sup
ply. The farmer has not built up the
possibilities OF his farm as fast as has
be III the growth of the other industries;
else why the present revival of agricult-
ural progreSsa For this one reason he
has no made it possible, or thought it
necessa v, TO have continuous labor
upon the in m. BY this method he has
o,.ly needed summer help, and as a
consequence, it has caused large sur
plus of winter labor 10 90 unem loyed,
which has tended tn force the majority
of red men to work in the winter at
either very low rates, or rely Ipon
" obs of rail split ng, wood chopping,
or similar employment To tide them
through the winter. This has tended TO
force the young men either 10 go We t
and buy farms of their own, or get a
chance into the shops, or some other
service that promised continuous labor,
and compensation not greatly tuctuat-
ing, as upon the farm.
The man who hires to the farmer for
year, may be supposed TO consider
about sixteen dollars per month tull
compensation, owing to the fact that
labor is very CHI, ap in the winte but
the man who hires for six summer
months, receives from TWEEN y-two to
thirty dollars per month. THUS it will
lie yen that the farmer, to s..vs a ew
dollars and a few months Cf board, pays
his six-months hand almost as much as
another does a man for a year. In
ct Ter words, il he hired his help contin-
aously he would check tine tendency of
labor to float" and by max ng TIE
wages uniform he would actually OBJ
tain six months winter lalor Tor
merely nominal price, and thus con-
tribute toward securing reliable help
sre,iable, because tn " ieel that they are
well paid, have a steady home and en-
ployment-and all anxiety for IT, fut-
ure. for employer and employe, is thus
avoided.
The preference for married men for
u l. II 4
matter to be decided by the farmer
himself which he will employ. 1t has
some very admirable features. and the
employer, when such a farm hand can
he secured-ofe of great worth-would
do well to furnish him gratu.tously
comfortable home and a garden, in adj
di'ion to lis wages, as a compc, sation
for the long days work in summer; or
at the outside, supply those requisites
for the actual "Near and tear" of tue
habitation.
There is vet another factor in this
problem. All admit that there is vast
increase in the inte ligence and ability
of the ~ ricultural classes, which makes
it very possible that this MARI ed class
sought as employees, VIII either become
tenant farmers. or try to get farms of
their own; so that even now this ass
of Iarm help can not be said TO a tual-
lv. exist aud so the s arcity of labor
must IN art he met in yet greater
variety and still farther improved
mechanism but the greater the adapt
ity q a machine, the greater the
skill required To make its working sue
cessful. The secur n and keeping of n
guod firm hand is ma ter that should
cause man who relies upon hired help
to use his Judgment. The full develop
men OF the farm of the future is in
measure to be brought about hy hired
labor, a, well paid. continuous labor
will b. chief ia tor in working the
matter to successful issue Country
GeHtienlan.