The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-31
THE LABOR
SITUATION.
An Annual Exodus Of Virginia
Farm Hands.
COLONIZE FOREIGN LABOR
a ---
The Pea Crop Area viii Be Much Cur.
tailed Next Year-Judge Mason Has
Handsome Monument Erected
Over His Mothers Remains
FOREIGN LABOR
Especial to The rlmes.plspateh.l

Especial to The I1mes-Dispatcn.)
CONFORM. VA, May so.-The labor sit
uation here has been becoming more and
more serious eacl, year since 1894. until
It Is now the most perpleXing problem
that confronts the farmer. For number
of years the wood and timber business
afforded lucrative employment for the
resident labor. and while this Industry
attracted hundreds Of workingmen away
from the farms. the farmers succeeded In
procuring sufficient help during the busy
crop season Of each year.
I.aborers could be induced to leave the
service Of the wood and timber getters
long enough to help the farmers cultivate
and harvest their crops
But as the supply OF wood and timber
was reduced and the business narrowed
down IN proportion, laboring men began
to look In other directions for employ
ment. At first few dozen would leave
here every spring and find work IN the
cities. on the railroads and at lumber
mills UP North until the approach of the
following winter. Some OF these Obtained
high wages. saved their earnings and
bought homes here. The story of high
wages coupled With craving to see
sights" In the large cities and about lnm-
Der mills and railroads in the Northern
States. had an alluring effect and each
exodus of larger number of laborers,
until 1t came to pass, In the course of a
few years, that a large percentage of
the best laborers here would leave every
spring before the crops could be pitched
and remain away until after they were
gathered and housed In the fall.
ANNUAL. EXODUS.
This annual exodus has continued. and
now the scarcity of labor 1andicaps the
farmer and the agricultural interests
more seriously than any other one thing
perhaps as much as all other local
causes combined. 1t Is simply impossi-
Bile this season to hire labor at any price
to do farm work. The comparatively few
workingmen remaining here either have
crops OF their own. or are In the employ
ment OF the timber-getters. The time has
come when majority OF the colored
men here are averse to working on tho
farm, and An offer OF higher wages dur
Ing crop season is but little temptation
or inducement to them.
Some OF the most philosophical citi-
ze,,s of the Northern Neck are consider
Ing and discussing the ACCESSIBILITY ana
prac liability Of colonizng foreign labor
IT Is suggested that a colony OF foreign
ers in each Of the five counties OF the
Neck would supply labor and meet the
growing emergency. But great many
Of our people do not take kindly to this
proposition. They are Of opinion that
raw inexperienced foreigners are not
a success as farm laborers. and, as a rule
are not desirable Siti>Vii-'-|i ~
class who have nothing to invest, nothing
Iii common with our interests and who
are slow to adapt themselves ITO our
modus operandi, etc. Yet they admit
that something must be done to relieve
the situation-that there Is not s,ifii-
Client labor here to cultivate the soil.
A good many of the better class of labor
Ing men claim that the adoption of labor
saving machinery by some Of our farm
ers several years back, and the growing
tendency to use such, machinery exten-
sively was the primary cause OF our
laboring men seeking employment else
where On the other hand. the farmers
contend that the exodus every spring OF
the best labor here forced them to adopt
machinery In sef-defense. With many
a farmer It is aquestion Of duck or no
dInner,-it Is to employ machinery, or
quit farming.
SMALLER AREA.
smaller area will be sowed In peas
here this season than for number of
years Since 1896 pea-vine hay has grown
in public favor, and hundreds Of acres
have been cultivated In black peas (cow
peas) each year. The hay Is regarded.
as very nutritious. and the stumble ana
roots have proven exceedingly beneficial
to the soil. But pea-vine hay Is very
hard to handle and hard to keep where
there ia not ample barn-room, and for
this reason 1t Is not as popular as It "as
several years ago. The greatly reduced
area this season, however. Is due 70 the
nfavorable weather conditions since Feb
ruary more than to any other cause ~
was very late before the weather would
,x1,,,,. ~ opy Kind of farm work, and