The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-04-30
TRUCK FARMERS FAVOR WOMEN LABORERS


because their dresses accumulate so
much of the black muck which is very
difficult TO wash from the garments.
Those who do the wedding of the
Onions must crawl along on the
ground on their hands and knees and
pull the weeds with their fingers from
the rows of onions.
1t is a very tedious job and one
would imagine that to weed the on
ions on a fifty acre field would re-
quire the services of a good sized ar
my, because the rows are only from
twelve to fourteen inches apart and
the weeds grow among the onions as
thick as the hair on a dogs back; but
it does not take as many to do the
work as we imagine
Some of the onion growers claim
that one man can, with small
amount of extra help during the weed
ing and harvesting time, do the work
on from four to five acres
The women workers of the onion
fields say that they feel no lessening
of their dignity because they do this
kind of work, and We can see no rea-
son why they should, because it is
just as honorable for a women to get
out into the fresh air and work in
the soil as it is for her to follow any
other line of endeavor.
The field work is far more health
full than many other kinds of work
and the pay much greater than the
average woman receives in occupa-
tons which are, through custom, look
ed upon as more dignified.
There comes to mind an instance of
how one woman-a society woman, II
that means anything-took up the
work of onion raising and made good.
This woman's husband was a state
bank examiner and at one time state
representative; but hisShealth failed
and he died, leaving his wife very lit
tie money after obligations were met.
The first year this society woman
put out a crop of onions she had some
thing like five acres, and she got
right down on her hands and knees
with the help she employed and did
her share, and a little more of the
work
From the five acres she cleared a
little over $4,000 for her seasons
work.
That was her first year, but now she
is in position to hire all the help she
needs and is putting out from twenty
five to thirty acres.
This deceased bank examiners wild
hi ehI xr cd nc
though she had done society stunts
every afternoon and evening during
the time she was down on her hands
and knees pulling weeds from the on
ions.
Another woman, also a widow, but
who possesses a goodly share of the
necessary, and would not have to
work unless she wanted to, is put
ting out forty acres of onions.
While she will probably do very lit
tie of the wedding and such labor her
SELF she will superintend the work.
Her land was among the posses
sions left her by her husband, and
was very wet and was not consider
ed of much value a few years ago.
The widow has had the land tiled and
prepared for onions, and she will no
doubt add much to her bank account
from the proceeds of her crop this
year.
She has put up tents on the farm
for herself and help in which to live
during the summer while the work
is in progress and she will probably
get as much enjoyment out of the
summer as though she were at a sum-
mer resort.
Let the women have the franchise
if they want it; let them have any
thing and everything they want.
If they vote as carefully as they do
their work in the onion fields, why
let them vote; they cannot know any
less about politics than men do at
the present time.
This little side play has nothing to
do with women workers IN the onion
fields but We took the liberty of
drawing a conclusion from the prem
Uses that competency and thorough
ness in one line indicated that there
would be a similar action in another.