Oxford Democrat., 1906-12-25
The Hired Mans View.
BY THE HIRED NAN HIMSELF.

BY THE HIRED NAN HIMSELF.
This article. written by . bright man In Con-
necticut, presents one phase OF the help problem.
Probably there are those who do not agree with
him These should write New England Home
stead. Let the matter be discussed pro and con
through these columns.-Editor.]
One Of the problems that are causing
farmers a great deal Of trouble is the
help question. 1t seems almost impOssi-
BILE to hire good farm hands. Now, as a
farmers hired man and one who has
worked in shops, I want to say few
words as to what l consider the cause of
the existing conditions. Possibly l am
much mistaken, and ii am, l want to
know it. 1 have worked in shops and
on farms off and on, since was Is years
old and think 1 have a fairly good
knowledge of what say.
In the first place, will take shop
work; its wages, character OF work, ad-
ysntages, etc. When / was Is years old,
| went to work in shop, working 10
hours a week. went in the piece work
department, which, by the way, is the
best paid of any of the departments in
the shop where l worked. The work
was light and easy, and girls OF IA doing
il. The hours were from $50 A. NJ. till
Y noon, and from l2:45 till 8 P. NJ, five
days a week, and on Saturday, $3.50 A.
NJ. till l2:45. So you see had Saturday
afternoons off, with no chores or re-
sponsibility until Monday morning.
Now as to wages, they are very salts
factory and always sure money, and one
knows just when he is going to get paid:
As said before, it was piece work, and
80 the steady hard worker made more
than the indolent, lazy fellow, but the
poorest worker could easily make $40
month of "a working days, while the
hustlers made $4S to $50 in the same
time, and as there are l3 months OF %
days each in a year, the shop worker
gets in one month year more than the
farm hand.
Now as to board, it can be obtained
in the vicinity of the shop at $3.50 to
"a a week, washing included, and that
leaves the worker s25 to S35 for his
months work. Some say shop work
is not so healthy as farm work, but l
don't know about that. l know some
old men who have followed the shop all
their lives and are still as healthy as
good many farmers know. You might
saw you have to spend lots of time learn
ing this shop work, but that is wrong
idea. went in one week learning and
after that went to work for myself.
EARLY AND LATE.
So much for the shop, its work,
wages, etc.; now for the farm. After
had worked in the shop till l was IL, l
became restless. And let me say before
/ 90 further that all the time l had
worked in the shop I had been living
at home with my folks on small, rocky
farm, so had become interested In farm
ing, had Joined the grange and become
thoroughly interested in farm work and
decided that the best thing to do was to
ouit the shop and hire out. This l did
on neighboring farm, and as l was not
much used to farm work, (but could
milk, etc., only got SIS month OF ~
days (not counting Sundaysl for eight
months, and $40 a month for the re-
mainder of the year.
Invent to work April 1st on my new
Job, and was somewhat surprised to Do
called at 4:3O A. NJ, although l had
heard il said farmers rose early. felt
somewhat like the hired man who, when
the farmer called him early, appeared
with grip in hand, and upon the farmers
asking him where he was going he re-
piled, 81 am going to try and hnd q
place to stay all night" Well, up got
and followed him out to milk with a
lantern and pals. We MIXED and chor.
ed up till about $50, and then had
breakfast. He laid out the days work
for me. At noon / had more chores to
do. in the way of horses and hogs to
feed, and then had about 20 to ~ MIN,
utes to eat in, and then at 1t again I'LL
almost sundown, and then the Chores
which took until seven, and then supper.
| had to retire at 8 O'Clock in order 70
get rest enough for the next days LABOR:
That was the routine of work did until
the middle of May and then there was
an hour or so day added to the sched-
nile, Some days it seemed as though 1t
was work night and day, but while the
work increased the wages didn't show
auy sign of so doing, and, in fact, l
never got what wages were coming 10
me only by dunning the boss. AT the
last of November was told my wages
would be cut down to $40 month, as
there wasn't so much work, still there
was about 65 hours week.
worked the four winter months for
| $S. 40, and the next spring tried a new
place where l thought it would not be
quite so hard, and there l was to get
$40 month. Well, worked at that q
wear or so, and after that / went in the
sbop again and saved money once more,
and got rested. When the St. Louis
fair opened | became restless again, and
hearing of the big wages the western
farmers paid. my brother and decided
| to see the fair and stay out there and
farm.
We went, l think, at the wrong time
of the wear (October) and found work
scarce. We cut corn at $1.25 an acre
and board. l could cut one acre and
half day and so made fairly good
wages for while, but this did not last.
We tried several jobs, but they paid so
poorly that we came home, disgusted1
with the work and wages In Illinois and
Indiana, but am still of the belief that
If we had gone in the spring We should
have found much different conditions.
The last farm job worked at was on
fruit and market garden farm, for s2t
a month. But was not quite satisfied,
and at present am working in the shop
again. Perhaps all the farmers are no,
like the ones for whom I worked, l hope
so, at least, for the poor hired mems sake
/ am not in the least discouraged in my
farming ideas, but 1 have found out the
money in farming is for the farmer, ano
the hired mans share OF the profit II
very small indeed. Att.
l think II farmers would pay their
help $50 or so month for 13 months
in a year, and not make man work two
days in one, they would have less trouble
keeping "the hired man." | expec
some day to run . farm, and II l eve
have hired help, I think l shall know
how to use them "white" and not MAKE
slaves of them.
j The Great Difficulty.
il A gentleman driving an automobile
-.k., ~ooA aova n writer in