The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-07-05
AGRICULTURAL.
Work and Wages.

The farmer is differently situated |
from most others who work with their
hands. They work for some one else,
he works for himself. They work for |
stipulated weges, he gets what he can !
make from the sale of his products. |
Farmers often look with longing eyes
upon the regular wages of the working
man, and many farmer has given up
his farm and gone to the town to work
for wages, but not one in thousand
has found what he expected to OF COM
fort and satisfaction in working for
others, Wages are nice, but by the
time the rent is paid, all the family
supplies bought, and the cost of living
made up, there is no more left than
there was in the old days on the farm,
while the many comforts which were
"thrown in" with the life on the farm
are entirely lacking. In these hot days
when the hours are long on the farm
and the work hard, the farmer may
often think of his hard lot, especially
as he reads the accounts of wages being
raised, of prosperity come, but the
farmer is as well off as the working
men, and far better in many ways.
Certainly no farmer without very good
reason should leave his country home
and move to the town or city with the
thought that he is going to be much
happier or better off by so doing.
In this world things are not what
they seem before you get them. The
happiness of large part of mankind
comes from anticipation, and when
they get what they seek there is often
times disappointment. So when farm
ers go to the city or town they are sure
TO be disappointed in many ways.
But how is the farmer to make the
best of his position on the farm? He
may rank high as a brain worker, he
may be middlipg sort of man, or he
may be mere drudge. Now when
you go outside of the farmers among
the workingmen, you will find the
three classes of workmen. There are
those who have the brains and ability
to earn very good wages. Then there
is the average workman, who earns an
average amount. Then there is the
mere drudge, who is able to earn only
the lowest wages. OF course the sell
tishness of man has something TO do
with wagee. Plenty of employers there
are who will, if possible, hire a good
man for the poorest pay, except when
there is brisk demand for workers
But as rule it will be found that the
amount of mans wages is measured
by the brains he puts into his work
The more responsibility there is pu
upon man, the better he is paid a
section boss gets just twice as much al
a section hand, and the boss does lit
tie or no hand work. But the men who
are entrusted with the handling OF the
great engines get three times as much
as the section boss. The may get al
much in one month as many farmers
get in three or four, as much as some
get in six. But it is not an easy timt
these men have. Few farmers would
care to exchange places with them
Their position is often one of extreme
hardship and heaviest responsibility
There is postal clerk who gets wha
most farmers would consider prince
ly salary, but mind you, he has 10 worl
for it. 1t is no light matter to keel
things running on postal car. Th,
place is one of the closest application
to duty, and one of constant peril.
Wherever one goes, he will find tina
high wages generally mean hard work
So on farm, the earnings usual,
correspond with the amount of Brain
and skilled labor put on to the land. Ii
other words, all wages are high in pro
portion to the skill of the wage Garner
Unskilled muscle gets the poorest pay
AS we 60 toward skilled brain work III,
pay rises, until we find the men o
powerful business capacity receiving
the highest salaries, whether they b,
workers for others or conduct bushes
for themselves. This is a lesson TO
the farmer. The more skill he put
into his work, the more money will b.
take out of it. And this includes skill
in marketing his products as we'll a
growing them.
If dirt gets in the milk, you canno