Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1903-12-10
FARMER AND PLANTER
THE LABOR PROBLEM.
Conditions That Are Constantly BE-
coming of Greater Importance
to Southern Farmers.

farm labor question.
For some reason or other there
seems to be fewer available iaborers
for farm work than there were few
years since. II is the universal cry
that there is a scarcity of help to cul-
tivate crops. This is not only true OF
Georgia and other cotton states, but
is the condition in all sections.
There are two explanations that may
be offered that may help solve the diff
ficulty. The first is that the scarcity
is more apparent than real. There are
as many hands engaged in raising
crops now as there ever were. Indeed,
it is not certain but that there are
more There is fully 25 per cent. more
crops grown now than ten years ago,
and this increase could not possibly De
produced by diminished supply OF Ia
Dor.
With cotton selling at five cents, the
acreage is somewhat reduced, and this
reduces the demand for laborers, but
with the price from eight to twelve
cents everybody wants to plant as
much cotton as possible, and MAORI
ty really does plant more than they
have help to cultivate, trusting to get
day-help to pull them through, with
the result that everyone wants day
help at the same time, and all bidding
for what few hands are unemployed,
puts the price of labor out of proper
ton to the crops grown.
The second explanation may seem
paradoxical when it is stated that in
stead of being too few laborers there
are really too many. 1t is not ques-
ton of whether there are enough Ia
borers to cultivate all the available
land, but whether the crops these Ia
borers can grow, will sell for remunera-
tive prices.
The average Georgia cotton laborer
now receives s132.72 as his annual
wages, while the average laborer III
Georgia manufacturing establishments
receives s439. Until the farm laborer's
wages is increased to level with MS
brother in a factory or shop, there VIII
be too many farm laborers. The land
owner can not afford to pay more with
present prices of farm crops. Inese
laborers only produce $202 worth OF
crops. and as matter of course their
wages should be in proportion. But
the number of farm laborers ought to
be encouraged to go into other work
until the amount of farm crops are re-
duced to the point where they Will sell
for higher prices.
The percentage of the total popula-
ton engaged in farming in Georgia Is
too large. There are too many pro-
ducers and too few consumers. rake
the state of Massachusetts for COM
parison. Less than 25 per cent. OF her
total population is engaged in agrlcul-
ture, and the average wages paid farm
hands in that state is $355.6S. This
amount would be more, but crops pro-
duced in states where a greater per-
centage of population is engaged IN
agriculture acts as a hindrance.
The proposition is being made now
to bring in Chinese laborers to COM
pete with our native laborer In the
production of cotton. These parties,
who are large landowners, propose 10
ruin their neighbors who are de-
pendent on their own labor for a llv-
ing and for the education of their
children. One man says in the Atlanta
Constitution that he has made 5oo
bales of cotton this year, but he could
have made a thousand more If he had
had the labor. He wants Chinese la
borers brought in, so that he can Gull
tivate all his land, and thus quadruple
his cotton crop. He seems to overlooh
the fact that any considerable increase
in the cotton crop which would result
from the importation of Chinese Ia
Dor. would reduce the price OF COTTON
He sees ten and twelve cent COTTON
and his idle land. He is not satlsneu
with the race problem that we now
have. but wants to introduce announcer
He does lot care what becomes OF ' 4,
future. for he says so, but Is iced,
to pile up for himself now. .,,r
Another proposition +, to adopt tn,
plantation system. Taas means tina
we should have a few large farms
rather than many small ones.
1t is proposed to cultivate these
large farms by labor which can be bet
ter controlled, and which will be nAore
Efficient This system is virtually ir
effect in portions of Qgiethorpe ant
other central Georgia counties at this
time.
1t may be admitted that this system
has some advantages, but these are sd
overbalanced by disadvantages that
the system should not be thought OF
for minute.
The south has made rapid strides
since the negro was freed and the
plantation system was broken up. II
would be decided backward step to
check the present tendency towards
small farms.-W. L. Williamson, in
Southern Cultivator,