The Hawaiian gazette., 1894-03-30

Mr.. 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 in general. One of your
corr spondents, signing himself 81.
A. c." and writing under date of
March 22d, saws: 1.-The usual average
wages by the year has been SIS per
month and board in Kansas and Min
nesoIa, while in the State of Wash
ington am now paying farm laborers
81. 80 and board. And the board they
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 80 TO 81 . per day and
board, according to the kind of work
doue. The higher wages are paid to
men capable of running reaper and
binder" Now, Mr.. Editor, l have
been a farm laborer for years, and as
such l arrived in Su Verne, Mimi,
April 5, 1876. / found that an ordi-
nary farm laborer could command
from SIC to $50 per month and board
for the season, not for the year.
Wages are no higher in Minnesota
now than they were then. | have
times since then. l know that oc-
casionally there is farm hand who
gets SIS or $50 per month and board,
but this is not the average. / will
refer the curious to II. c. Spaulding
and \. +. Reynolds, botn of Su Verne,
Mimi, John Thompson, of Lewiston,
Mimi, and DR.. Taylor, of Pipestone,
MINI. These gentlemen can tell what
wages are now and what they "have
been" in Minnesota. l arrived in
Walla Walla, Wash, Sept. u 1879. /
lived in the State over five years,
and at no time during 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 10 500 per mouth. III.
H. Hungate aud DR.. J. \. Blalock,
both of Walla Walla, Wash, would
give the investig itoT the price of
farm labor in their part of Washing
ton if said investigator will send them
a stamp with the question. NJ. o.
Mccoy, of Rockford, Wash, will do
the same. May Is, 1889, landed in
Seattle, Wash. | 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 i'll the
State of Washington | never heard of
a farm laborer receiving 81 per
month and board.
l have not been in Kansas for nine
II rfx-g. ht,F
/ can confidently state that the ave
rage price of farm labor for the season
was not over 500 and board. Forty
five dollars with board by the year, or
by the month, for ordinary farm labor
was practically unknown in Kansas
nine years ago. L have worked at
ordinary common labor in more than
dozen different States, and | know
whereof l affirm when l say that
laborers in that part of the United
States lying west of Chicago do not
trouble themselve about demanding"
meat, for it is furnished as matter
of course. They usually get butter,
but not always. / mention this be
cause -. A. C." seems to assert what
he says about the men being "partic-
ular" with sort of sneer. If ~. A.
c." will pay S45 dollars per month for
twelve months in the year in the
three States in question, he can get
good men who will agree to pay for
what they eat out of these fOrty-tive
big dollars. Now, Mr.. Editor, l
would like TO see ~. \. c." but if he
will not grant me an interview
suspect that he Is "blOatei capital
ist"-will he favor me by naming one
county in each of the three States in
question where an average of SIS per
month and board "by the year. "has
been" or is paid for ordinary farm
labor? Judge Bronson is reported as
saying that labOrers cannot be had in
California for less than 81 per day and
board, yet we read in the San Fran
cisco newspapers that men stood in
line for twelve hours to get a ticket
which would entitle them to work ten
hours for 81.
Hundreds of farm laborers in Cal
$40 per month and board. Gen. H. 5.
Gordon, of San Jose, told me that he
never paid any more than that. The
cost of the food for farm laborer in
California is from S. to 81 per month.
This does not include cost of cooking.
The laborer must furnish his own
bedding.
A correspondent signing himself
''H quotes from sn article published
in the February Fortnightly Review,
entitled Fabian Economics " w. H. !
the author OF this article, is
an able writer, but a little original |
iuvesti- alton ought to show him the |
fallacy of some of his assertions. He |
Is right in saying that a man is en-
titled to the fruits of his labor, but he is |
wrong IN assuming that "they"-''the |
captains Of ndustry"-produce, as a |
body, "that increase of wealth which |
rom year TO year Is made available |
or the enjoyment and comfort of the |
many" Increase of wealth as shown |
BY the census reports does not prove |
hat the masses are enjoying increased |
comfort. According TO the United |
States census report for 1850 the
wealth per capita in Kansas was
1882. In 1890, according to the
'ame authority, it was S203.63. This
shows an increase of nearly 25 per
cent, but does any one familiar with
life in Kansas believe for a moment |
H. - IA 4.