The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-12-16
High Wages Paid in Can
ton Shops and Factor
les Big Attra ction.
Farmers have Difficulty
IN KEEPING their hired help
Bright Country Girls Also Seek
Employment In City Offices
and Are Successfui-Aii
Make Good Citizens.

DURING the last year there has
IL been great influx of young men
from the farms into Canton and other
manufacturing centers of the country.
In spite Of the fact that farming is
paying bigger returns than ever in the
history OF the country those who had
been working as farm hands at from
S1s to 500 per month and found, have
been attracted by the high wages paid
for day laborcrs in the shops and fac
tories.
This condition exists to such an ex.
tent that even through The winter it Is
hard for farmers who depend upon
hired help to do their feeding and win
ter work to secure laborers at any
price
Not only has this relentlessness and
desire to so to town been manifested
by the farm hands but the sons and
even the daughters of the farmers are
attracted by the advantages in the cit
les. This Is especially true where the
boys and girls do not directly share
.
When young men and boys can make
| so day working IN ihe shops and
factories and ir many instances get IL
lire for advancement to even higher
wages it is hard TO convince them that
they should stay on the farm.
Many country girls come into Canton
and secure employment in the shops
while others attend business college
and fiji themselves for stenographers
positions and drift into Offices and
stores. In the main their wages are
not large, but they prefer the life to
what they term the drudgery of the
farms.
The result of all this Is that the
old folks are in many instances left
alone out at the old homestead to get
along rs best they can with hired girls
and hired mon, while the sons and
daughters live in the cities and only
get home occasionally to get a good
country dinner.
Managers of the big stores state that
the very best workmen they have in
their employ are the boys who come
from the farm, they have healthy bod
les, strong muscles and willingness
to work. They have not, as rule,
learned the art of shirking. They
learn quicltly and are ambitious to
succeed, which is the great secret of
their rsefIlness.
Many young farmers who have lit
Tie skill with carpenters tools come
Into Canton and get work upon car
penters' gangs. getting as start 81
or $3.50 q day and often in few weeks
get advanced to IS day. There arc
Instances of where with but a few
months experience in the city. coun.
try boys have been put In charge OF
gangs of workmen and secure the high
est wages.
1t Is said that one effect of this will
be that there will be shrinking Of
the product of the farms and il the
present manufacturing boom contin
ues the demand for food stuffs will bl
greater than the yield, and shortage
and high prices will result. There has
perhaps never been a more bountifu,
harvest than that of the year just
closed, yet the prices to the. farmers
have kept up so that they have reap
ed financially in proportion to their
crops. 1t Is the ordinary rule that
when crops are large prices are low,
but in this instance the opposite has
been the rule.
Some of those who stick to the farm
argue that while their wages are not
so high they have practically no ex.
pense, and in the end they will have
to the city and makes large wages and
spends as lavishly as he earns. The
! farmer argues with his sons along this
line and urges them to remain. upon
the farm and help take advantage of
the opportunities that are present for
money making.
Many of the boys and girls who do
come to the city, miss The liberty and
| freedom from restraint that they en-
joyed in the country They cannot
quit work any day and hitch up the
horse and buggy and start out for a
days pleasure. They are under a
boss" whose word is law. Even II
they could get away for day or two
they discover that a days pleasure is
an expensive luxury. The wages for
the time are lost. Everything that is
secured costs money. A horse and
buggy means two or three days wages
Board bills. room. rent and other ex-
f't ,tHt -