The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-03-04
THE FARM LABOR PROBLEM.


The following letter on the above important
subject was written by Mr.. J. W. Pincus of
Cape May county, New Jersey, to the Country
Gentleman:
have been reading with considerable interest
the frequent discussions on Farm Labor in
your columns, but the last article, From
Laborer's Standpoint while somewhat harsh
seems TO hit. at least partly, the nail the head
During the past six years have had considera-
BILE experience with farm help, from neither a
laborers nor an employers standpoint, but
nave helped to place over one hundred young
men on FARMS and have corresponded with
hundreds of farmers about their help. besides
coming into contact with the farmers at meet
ings and on their farms. That the farm help is
scarce is evident, as at every convention of agri
cultural organizations this seems to be the ever
lasting complaint. The Baron de Hirsch Agri-
cultural School received last year about 800 in
quiries for help, and this only in answer to the
limited advertising in papers.
Now what is the cause of this scarcity of help /?
OF course the first reason is that young people
abandon the farms and flock to the cities the
second, that the city aborer is either not suited
for farm work or does not desire to take it up !;
and the third and principal reason is that the
work on farms is not attractive the hours being
long and the pay rather low.
Our state agricultural colleges will not solve
the labor problem on the farm, and do not
believe that this is their aim. A farmers son,
after spending four years at an agricultural col
lege, believes, and in many cases rightly too,
that the capital and energy he has invested in
the college course does not warrant him to re-
turn to his farm and he seeks sclentlfic research
work with our experiment stations or the fed
eral Department of Agriculture.
A majority of students who graduate from
Qcllo "a nj
this aggravateS the farm-lab0r question. The
short winter courses established by the different
many sons of farmers, as they teach them mod
ern methods, inform thema to recent researches
and how to apply them to practice. These short
courses improve the grade of farm help, and in
the future, as their usefulness becomes greater,
they will be much more appreciated by farmers.
But after all, mainly the sons OF farmers pa
of these courses return to their fathers farms !;
so that they do not solve the farm-iaDor problem.
The only method q s4vpg ems m s6 rs 70
this to be good farm help. The majority of the
adult immigrants, even If they followed agricul-'
ture in Europe, are not satisfactory help, Judg-
ing from the verdict of many farmers.
If the young immigrants who flock by the
hundreds to our large cities, and VINO are LOOK
inc for professions in the new land, could De In
dneed to take up q course at an agricultural
school where the American methods OF farming
should be taught to them 36 re ipesen
and suficient English and other general sub
iacts 10 Americanize them, then believe the
farm-labor problem would be solved.
Our state colleges even sne sn0rs t nse
not suitable for these young men, as they m !n
he Taught not only the why" put also the
chow Special schools must be established 1or
theun The Baron de Hirsch Agricultural Scnool
at Woodbine, N: j., is school OF ms kino ~ ~
trains the Jewish boys 70 De IaLLn .aDOrSaS al4 W
=, time to develop into succeSsful owners OF
s 81 farms do not see why the same cannot
he done with Italian, German and other nation
alities. ,,+r,, howavar will
have 70 he Educated to treat their help some
what differently than described Dy MT. owen.
T ON sorry To saw that the facts as stated py
Mr. Owen are corroborated by many osner oI-
servers. Many of the pupils or the baron ue
Hirsch School. who spent several Seasons ~
farns make the same complaints ABOUT the
room food long hours and treatment. 80
One Of the criticisms that Is sometimes ma9e
against the graduates of schools Is tnaS Insy W
n0f know enough which may De true DuL la. !t1lr
inc Is q complicated business. 1t Is lmpOsslOle
in Two W or even three years to teach young men
all aboutft In fact, no other proIesS,onn.s vos
claims that IFS graduates know all. fractlce
makes perfect, If these graduates nate sne
right chance, they VIII ~ sch oo One of
narv helm however. is that they do not drink
smoke or use profane language, are KIM W anI-
mails and therefore can be oePenueu Il o1,,act a
little better treatment than the European peas
ants, and unless the farmer Will rec0eni1S; o,o
fact, he will find that graduates OF tne az
tura schools will not stay with nun. II tnr
farmer will give them fair treaImS ,, Sarms and
proportion of them will remain on Ia = folIoyv
viii attract a large number from cities 70 IonOM
their vocation While at present tneI5 aIo soay
lew schools of this kind, am sure LILA. a@ ~
sucn schools will be established ~ s0 ans olocs
farmer will recognize the advantage OF SniS olAS'