The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1901-11-12
PEASANT LIFE IN ITALY
VEN AND WOMEN LABOR IN FIELDS
FROM DAWN TILL DARK.

list who slew tho Empress Elizabeth.
Presid,a Garnet. Primo Minister
CanovHs and finally IIumbcrt himself.
In sunny Italy is probably the rank
est growth of anarchy and socialism
in all Europe. And In The sunny
plains and valleys of northern Italy is
what perhaps Is the worst condition
of scrfdom that exists in Europe to-
day. Here i'm the provinces that hord-
or on the river Po-Lombardy, Ncnc-
tia and Emilia--thc peasantry staCgcv
under burdens so depressing and un-
bending that it is no wonder that the
extract from this human press is an
archy and socialism. 1t is I'm these
provinces that tn fcrmcnt OF social
Ism has worked The most. Here the
peasants are organized more or less
completely into sociallstic groups
Whatever or worth there was in the
old system of labor in these provinces
disappeared twenty years ago when
many of the old mobiles were forced to
give up their landed estates because
of the fail in price OF wheat and cat
tie, due largely to American compc-
tition. With the ruin OF the mobiles
came that Of many OF the tenant
farmers and small proprietors who
were compelled to leave the fertile
and smiling country and go into the
towns for work, or else emigrate TO
America, there TO begin life anew.
The field labOrers Of Italy are diyid-
ed into two classes. the obbligati, who
are hired by the year and the disob-
hlfnnff bn Il,
The former class, of course, are a lit
tie better Off than the latter, for their
contract runs longer, and they can
look further ahead. But i'm either
class the outlook is miserable enough
For not only does the peasant bind
himself to work for his owner. but he
binds his whole family, with the pos
sible exception of babes, who would
be included, except that they can pro-
duce nothing, and therefore are left
in the corners of the fields. For this
reason, that an employer can get the
services of an entire family for the
price of one man, an unmarried man,
or the man with wife and no chill
dren, Is at great disadvantage, for
work for him is not to be had as long
as there are unemployed families at
hand. Yet another hard feature of
this system is that the head Of the
family must stipulate, if he has I'M
married daughters. that they shall not
marry for the period Of time which
the contract has to run.
A days work i'm this part Of sunny
Italy is from 4 in the morning to- . at
night-that is, from the first flush of
dawn to the last light to be had from
the setting sun. There is no Sunday
In the calendar of the italian peasant.
On the day of the week which all
Christendom observes. rs on other
days, he is in the field at o'clock in
the morning. and between and
has his breakfast he gets an hour
at midday and half an hour ut , or G
O'Clock. and then he works on until
he no longer can see.
The women go into the fields with
the men. They hoe in the maize fields.
reed the cattle and cultivate the fax.
IL the children are babes they can do
nothing-to the great sorrow Of the
employer. for they eat, if ever SO little.
but do not produce But when they
=
useful in looking after the pigs. etc.
and as soon rs possible they are sent
TO work with their parents The stu.
alton in the green fields Of italy is
about as complete REPUTATION of the
Malthusian theory as its most ardent
opponent could desire. for +, is the
man with many children who GETS
the most out OF life rs ii is lived I'm
sunny Italy. .......
The wages OF The peasants family
are partly in money and partly i'm
KIND, and he has the privilege of rent
free. In cash he gets from SO TO 500
a year; In kind he get fourteen bushels
or maize seven bushels of wheat otI
from 200 to $50 bundles Of frewood
II he Is in vineyard section ne re-
ceives In addition 800 To 900 pounds OF
grapes while In other sections he GETS
SIX to nine bushels of rye. He may
get some rice. which be mixes with
the millet to produce the indigestiblo
bread which Is responsible for the dis.
case called pellagra.
Then he may have the privilege of
4 little patch Of ground on which he
may raise maize. two-thirds of which
goes to the employer, and me may raise
SIX worms, too.
80 the average PEASANTS family OF
slA persons may earn altogether from
$40 to Sl25 a year
Inc house Cf Tho italian prasaui
usually contains several other faui
lies a lodging consists of Kitchen
n bed room and two other small rooms