Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-03-23
Nuscatine County Farmers Con-
slider Demands Of Farm
Hands Outrageous
PREFER TO LET LAND LIE IDLE
situation is One of the Most Serious
Questions Confronting the Large
& Farmers Of Today-Attempts to In
troduce Cheap Labor Into the Wes-
tern States Meet With Failure
spec,a1 to Times Republican


Muscatine, March 23.-The deter
unination of the farmers of Muscatine
county who say they will let their land
70 Idle rather than pay the outrageous
prices asked by farm hands this spring
= only equalled by the independence OF
the farm hand of Louisa county who
drove away from q farm in high dud-
Geon last summer. because he was
asked TO keep his horse In the pasture
yowine that he would go to some place
to work where he could drive a horse
that Is kept in the barn and fed hay.
Farm hands in the neighborhood OF
Muscatine are hiring for wages vary
ing from $50 to $25 per month, ac-
corddns to a statement of John Fish
burn who was in the city yesterday.
Mr.. Fishburn said he was going to let
dis ground go to waste rather than
nay the prices asked by falun labor.
Many OF his nedghbors, he says, are OF
the same opinion. The wages PAID
this year are little lower than they
were last summer. Nearly all OF the
men are hired.
Paul Knowles, who lives short DIS
tance north of town, says the wages
In HE community are higher. ranging
from SIS to $40. Reports from other
sections give $50 to SIS. All OF these
prices include board and washing and
one or two horses boarded.
Mr.. Fdshburn talked quite freely
concerning the farm hand situation
md thinks It is one Of the serious
Questions that confront the large farm
ers OF today. Economists are begin
ming to make study of the causes OF
the high wages paid to farm hands IN
he western states.
Taking in consideration the fact that
he ii furnished with board for himself
and horse. or possibly two horses, ana
that his living expenses are almost
nothing and that there are a number
Of DAYS each month when he can not
work, the farm hand is better paid than
almost any other kind Of common la
borrer..
The farm hand OF today doesn't work
any longer hours than other labor. He
Is generally near enough to town to
hear the whistle blow and when he
hears 1t the pillow is left in the furrow.
he takes his team IN. goes to supper
and Is ready to go out for the evening.
He. has another horse in the barn and
thinks nothing OF a drive of few
miles to town in his new buggy. He
has q new buggy every year. and has
no care until the next day.
Farm labor is not as hard work as it
WAS q few years ago. Modern ma
rhinery has lessened ITS drudgery and
there Ifs scarcely farm implement
used that does not have comfortable
neat for the operator.
The farm hand OF today has a cinch
and he knows It He is the most inde-
pendent person alive and he has no
competition. Attempts have been made
% introduce cheap labor into the west
Hrn states where the question Of farm
labor has got to be such a problem,
but they have Invariably failed. The
negro Is just as much out OF the qnes-
ton. No one but an american born
citizen with his inheritance OF me-
chanical genius can operate success
fully the farm machinery now used on
the farms Of the west.