The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-03-30

MIR. EDIToR:-Some of your cores
pondents make some remarkable
statements in regard to the price of
farm labor in the United States, and
upon labor i'll general. One of your
corr spondents, signing himself Al.
a. c." aud writing under date of
March 22d, says: 1.-The usual average
wages by the year has been SIS per
month and board in Kansas and Min
nesota, while in the State of Wash
ington L am now paying farm laborers
are very particular about, for they
demand meat and butter three times
a day. During harvest time
the ruling wages for day laborers
range from 81 so to 81 % per day and
board, according to the kind of work
done. The higher wages are paid to
men capable of running reaper and
binder" Now, Mr.. Editor, / have
been a farm laborer for years, and as
April ), 1876. / found that an ordi-
nary farm laborer could command
from $16 to $40 per month and board
for the season, not for the year.
Wages are no higher in Minnesota
now than they were then. L have
been in and through the State several
times since then. L know that &C.
casionally there is "a farm hand who
gets S25 or $50 per mouth aud board,
but this is not the average. L viii
refer the curious To III. e. Spauldipg
and y. II. Reynolds, both of Su Verne,
MiUn., John Thompson, of Lewiston,
Mimi, and DR.. Taylor, of PIpestone,
Mimi. These gentlemen Can tell what
wages are now and what they "have
beenu in Minnesota. / arrived in
Walla Walla, WASH, Sept. 81 1879.
lived in the State over five years,
and at no time curing my residence
there did the average farm laborer re-
ceive for ordinary farm work over 81
per day and board. One dollar per
| day amounts TO S26 per mouth. ii.
III. Hungate and DIR. j. y. Blalock,
| both of Walla Walla, Wash, would
| give the investigator the price of
| farm labor in their part of Washing
\ ton if said Investigator will send them
a stamp with the question. Nj. y.
| Mccoy, of Rockford, Wash., will do
Seattle, Wash. i lived in various
places in the Sound country until the
following February, and know that
farm wages did not during that time
average 81 per day and board. During
| nearly six years residence IN the
State of Washington L never heard OF
a farm laborer receiving $3.50 per
month and board.
| I have not been in Kansas for nine
years, so can give no references, but
I can confidently state that the ave
| race price of farm labor for the season
was not over $22 and board. Forty
five dollars with board by the year. oil
by the month, for ordinary farm labor
was practically unknown In Kansas
nine wears ago. L have worked al
ordinary common labor in more than
a dozen different States, and L know
whereof L affirm when L say thai
laborers in that part of the United
States living west of Chicago do uo'
trouble themselye about "demanding
meat, for it il furnished a. mattel
of course. They usually get butter
but not always. L mention this be
cause 81. A O." seems tn asstrt VIVA
me says about the tn. II being "partlc
: ular'' with a. sort of sneer. III - A
c." will pay SIS dollars per month 10
twelve months in the year In th
! three States in question, he Can ge
good men who will agree TO pay 10
what they eat out of these forty flv
! big dollars. Now, MIR. Editor,
! Won d like to see -. A e." but If h
i WILL not grant me an interview
. susDect that he is "nloated capital
i ist''-wiIl he favor me by naming on
u county in eacn OF the three States IL
: question where an average OF $40 pc
month and board "by the year ma
beenn or is paid for ordinary iarn
!. labor? Judge Bronson Is reported
saying that laborers cannon De hau
q California for less than 81 per day an
# hoard. vet we read in the San Fran
. cisco newspapers that men stood
~ line for twelve hours TO get ticke
% which would entitle them TO work te
- hours for 81. r.
Hundreds of farm laborers in Ca
# iforuia are working for not more ina
% so per month and board. Gen. I'll. !
- Gordon. of San Jose told me that
N never paid any more than that. II
n cost of the food for a farm laborer
- California is from 50 to- - per mont
n ! This does not include cost OF cooklh
,a Tha Iaborer must furnish his oW
bedding. Ill.,.
~ 4 correspondent signing himse
~ ssH - quotes from an article puhllsh'
of in the February Fortuightly keVleH
,g entitled "Fabiau Economies w,
- MoIloch, the author OF ihl- arlic'e g
r an able writer, but "a niue :.
II inyesti alton ought TO show nun L
~ faIIacv of some of his assertions. L
10 ,s riy6t in saying that man Is {
- titi,.d 10 the fruits of his labor, out ne
a. wrong IN assuming that "tney
~ captaiuS of industry '-prouuce, az
e, body, "that Increase OF wralan ,.. WnI'
!. from year To year Il lua'ie q 80 -
V. for the enjoyment anu coi COLI ~ SHOW
IN MANY" Increase OF WealtH "s So
III hw RE census reports does not pro
:. ~, ~ -" The masses are enjoying increas
is; soa5 o@t According 70 the ;oJ Unit
We c, cspsu. report for lSSO [
oi wealth wealth per capita in K, nsa rs " :
9i S,Gi - I'm 1890, according 10 IT. I
nj III same authority, it was sos, 6a: ., IL =
or shows an increase OF nearly - vi !
on cent, but does any one ianlii ,nnmf
, a life in Kansas believe Tor III, 49,,
nr that the comforts OF the n1au cn
to increased in like rhI,o: It
- aauu. .sIn 1910 the annual Increase