The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1885-05-16
Ten Hours on the Farm.


The agricultural editor of the Iowa
State Register holds some radical
opinions about hired help on the farm.
In a recent issue he has the following:
The rigid rules for certain hours OF
labor can never be successfully OBJ
served on the farm. Contamination has
gradually been extending from the me-
chanics and artisans to the employees
on the farm until it is almost impossible
to run farmer unless the owner does
all the work and the chores himself.
Frequently an early start has to be
made IN the morning to get dairy
products, fruits and vegetables to mar
ket IN the cool OF the morning. In the
case OF young stock in inclement
weather, care is frequently demanded
at night or before morning dawns. In
harvest, especially in hay harvest)
the exigencies OF the weather not only
demand hurried exertiOns, but some
times extended to late hours. In case
OF stock straying, which Is not discov-
cred till near night, they have TO be
pursued and recovered. Sometimes
long Journeys have to be made requir-
ing an early start, and the return not
accomplished until late hour. In
this way hundreds OF cases occur every
year requiring a departure from the
iron rules of the mechanic. And when
a man contracts his muscles and
brains to a farmer for season, it is,
and should be understood that he
agrees to comply with all of the re-
quirements OF the business of the farm.
1t Is lndlssolubly connected with the
occupation OF farmer. And without
this liberal construction OF the duties
of hired hand on a farm, in practice
and in law, the business Of hiring
hands may as well be abandoned. 1t
cannot be carried on without it.
The agricultural editor of the Regis
ter loves the business of farming and
would rather be at it now than
cooped up in this city. But the indie
pendent notions OF hired hands of
quitting work, and being absent, when
they pleased, imposed so much work
and care upon him that life was a
burthen to him. With hundreds OF
cattle, horses and hogs, and a score
OF COWS to milk, both male and female
help would frequently be absent from
Saturday night until Monday morn
ing. The scarcity OF hands enabling
them to refuse to do any labor on
Sunday. This is what is making
farmers and their wives prematurely
old, imposing on them by the practices
OF hired help, extra burthens. 1t is
hard to tell what the tendency OF in
dependence of laborers is to end in.
Last week We wanted little work
q
hundreds OF idle men, tramps and
vagabonds standing about the street
corners. Inquiry was made for a
labOrer. The inquiry was made
What will you give?" Fifteen cents
per hour was offered. 1t was spurned
with disgust, saying they would beg or
steal before they would work for that.
The same day and the next. strong.
robust, (but dirty and devilish-look-
ing fellows), applied at our back kitch-
en- door for food.
If laborers cannot be had to work
on the farms who are willing to COM
ply with the business and REQUIRE
ments OF farming; or If the idle men in
! our streets cannot consent to work
at reasonable wages in preference to
| begging or stealing, II Is time to great
ly diminish the size OF farms, or to
cease improving or OF getting into po-
sitions requiring no hired help. In
conversation with some good farmers
IN the past month, they stated that
the prospect for farming was gloomy
indeed. The present notions and
practices OF hired help made the own
er the most abject slave, and they are
ready and willing to change the bust
ness for anything else that will give
! them little chance for rest and recu-
/ peration. 1t is evident that the most
independent and comfortable position
| Tor farmer is to own and run farm
OF size and character that he can do
it himself without prematurely reduc-
ing himself and family to old age.