The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-11-27

longs for. could be induced 20 forsake
1t for the loneliness of the field from
which the farmer ID fleeing,
To attempt to force the city work.
ingman 70 go to the country would be
contrary to the laws OF natural selec-i
tion, and the demands human ma
ture. 1t Is largely question OF adap4
tation. The country bred man seems
to find It Comparatively easy to adapt
himself to the life Of the city, but the
lcity-bred man rarely adjusts himself
to the ways of the country. Those who
/ do go to the country and make a sue
cess Of 1t, are usually free from the
necessity of doing so.
| But, 1t may be said, granted that the
effort to colonize be futile, In view of
the factors which are driving men TO
the city--what is there to prevent the
people of the city from accepting tenn
porary work on the farm during per-
Tod of business depression?
| There are two classes OF men who
would be concerned In such PROPOSE
ton; first, the skilled laborer, who
earns small wages even when he Is
employed. can imagine the expert
workman coming back to the city at
the end Of the harvest season, and at
tempting to get another job at his
trade. Where did you work last"
the foreman will inquire, "Oh, / was
out on a farm the mechanic
will answer. If he wants to tell
the truth. ION a farm? We are
not hiring rubes we want skilled
men," And no amount OF persuasion
can make the average foreman be-
lieve that the fact that the man before
him went to work on a farm rather
than loaf in the city is really to his
credit. He cares nothing about the
| finer points in the matter; he wants
men who can do the work demanded
OF them, and he must Judge of their
ability on purely surface grounds.
To some, this may seem like trivial
/ barrier but it is a very real one, not
only as far as the foreman is con-
cerned, but the shopman as well, for
they have feeling Of contempt for
the "hayseed,' be he the original
article, or merely one who became
such as a shift. And so the
workingman tramps the streets, with
all the pride of the skilled American
workingman-some if it foolish, but
some of 1t most commendable- hopi. z
that tomorrow win find him at work
at his trade.
The unskilled laborer hasn't this
obstacle to contend with-at least, not
to so great a degree. He could accept
job in the country without the sac
rifce of very much pride. But there,
are even more serious reasons as to
why he cannot go from the city to
the country to help the farmer get in
his hay. Anyone who knows the man
of the poorer tenement districts is
familiar with a pale, narrow chested
individual, who simply could not stand
day In hot August sun, using a
pitchfork or even driving team. It'll
would, be a physical impossibility for
him to make good in a task which
would be absolutely new and which
would require more muscle than he
ever possessed. With him, 1t would be
a matter of endurance, aside from the
social questions which are bound to
influence him to a considerable de-
gree, and he is not equal to the job.
There is a possibility that the i'm
migrant may be induced to go to the
farm, although the effort to persuade
him to do so has not been very sue
cessfhl, largely for the reason that
most of the foreigners who are now
coming ito us lived In the city or the