Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-10-18
LONG HOURS MAKE
FARMLABOR lNTOLERABLE
Farm Hand Writes to President Out
lining Mistakes Farmers Make
and Suggesting Remedies.


WASHINGTON, Oct. 17.-An Indi
ana farmland has written letter to
| President Roosevelt about the work
which the Country Life Commission is
carrying ON. The President has turn
81 the letter over to the Country Life
Commission and the Commission has
asked the farmland to write some
more.
81 have been a farmland Just long
enough, says the Presidents CORE
spOHdent. ito learn the cause Of so
r,any sons and daughters and well
meaning. reliable farmhands leaving
the beautiful farm and county and 60
ing to the city. A lack Of order and
system on the farm and too long
hours for a day is what Is driving the
best minds from the farm to the city
and shop. What can we expect Of a
hand, or the farmers wife and her pos
lterity, in the way OF intellectual de-
lvelopment when they get out Of their
beds at $3.50 in the morning and work
from that time Until s or 9 P. NJ?
And no attention paid TO the sanitary
conditions of the home. and neces-
sary conveniences on the farm for
doing the farm work with the least
labor ard time"
This man has given the Country
Lite Commisson some very interesting
fnst-hand information about rural
conditions and recommendations bas-
eli on a long experience in farm work
ard farm life. He has worked Tor
all kinds OF farmers, good and bad,
he says. and he has always had his
eve open to detect the causes of their
success or failure. He has drawn MS
own conclusions and sets them tortn
in downright, straightforward fash
ion. Education pays N farming. he
SAYS. The farmer who pans out his
work and carries It through IN q
systematic. business-ifkc manner. just
as the city man does. will be able 20
shorten the hours Of labor. so many
farmers measure everything on the
farm from the standpoint Of muscles.
he continues. "and are extreme in
some things and slack in others. de-
ciGed several years ago that life IS
no short to work for Peter Tumble
down farmers"
Now. Mr.. President" he writes.
you car take this for what IL Is
worth. have not given You hall OF
nv experience" The Country Life
Commission has written him that his
suggestions are so useful that they
hope h. will send more.
Compel the farmer to be q bust
ness man." he says-Go into the
homes OF some Of the farmers and
the socailed farmers and ascertain
how they live. and learn OF their
methods Of doing the business IN which
they are engaged. And yoa viii he
surprised what q variety You wib
and. Ascertain what they read. and
what stress they pm, On the literature
that comes into their homes Off any
comes, bearing on the business they
are engaged in See wnst per cent
their business.
Give me the cdaea;ed 'SrTer rs
Ecss aad the educated !srmhand as
Land. Wien I come In contact VITA
hand or farmer tat guides his
business find him advancing. and
/, l. a pleasure 10 work for srch men
The majority of the farmers are
r,sh;.hour men, that 81. eight hoGrs IN
iLc forenoon and cirht in the afer'
y. on Eight or ten hours on trE ARA
cannot vel be adapted IN oil cases
but u need not he from fourteen 70
sixteen hours. n the family arse
every morning ~ o'ei1f ana me
vic and daughters sa'ead 10 the
housrhoId dutics. and the fsrmhand
.nG sons attend 20 the CORES anc
\ 20 to tho acs6 Of Z O'clock and WORK
4 EriH ~ or 1I.sa snd SO '6 We hr'a
L rrrfr a, .ua fpcl. ~ q until s