Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1912-08-16
THE AGRICULTURAL LADORER
IN ITALY AND HUNGARY
EXTRACTS FROM DR.. BOOKER 7.
WAsHINoToN's BOOK, THE
MAN FARTHEsT DOWN.

WAN TAN y 80 wv ~
In the present chapter J shall de-
scribe what ] saw OF the agricultural
iaborer In italy and Hungary
While the situation OF the farm
hands in Hungary differs from that OF
che farm hands in Italy in many ways.
shere are two important respects IN
which the situation OF each Is the
same. First. large part OF the land
OF both countries Is held in large es-
Gates second, farm laborers. az a
rule particularly in Hungary, do not
sSv@. as 10 the case In America. on
8he land On the contrary. they dwell
apart I'm villages. 50 that they are
hardly any more attached &c the soil
ahex cultivate than the factory hand
'as a Eaehed to the factory in which he
ss employed in Hungary. FOR exam
Ole, 90 Is the custom fog a group Of
aabofers 10 enter into. contract with
Che land owner during the summer to
harvest his crop In the fall. A con
tractor. who yeither represents or en-
ploys a farm hand. will look over the
dield and bargain with the owner TO
60 she harvest work FOR > certain per
fents 'of che crop AZ The harvest
aimey the contractor arrives With HE
aabOrers Just as he would come with
O gang Of men 10 build q house Or dig
O ditch While the work In going on.
Che laboners men and women fogeth-
OK. practically camp in the fields.
sieeparg sometimes IN the open fields.
6s sn such scant shelter ~ they are
able 70 And.
Il happened thar I vas n Hungary
90 the harvest time and. In the courhe
0f-Hny Journey through the country.
had several times seen these gangs OF
men and women going 20 their work
az dsybreak ia this part Of tue eoun-
cry, the sfrangest costumes are worn
BY these peasant people and the som-
en-, Especially. with their bright ker-
chiefs over their heads. their short
skiFts and high boots. when they are
noe barefooted. were quite n picsur-
.esque AZ anything Tshad read had led
be 10 expect The Geld hands 30 70
work At early dawn during the har-
vest season. They work sometimes
90 much as rs 20 10 hours day.
have been told. and then throw them
selves down 20 rest fDr the night On
truss Of straw or under . single
blanket After the harvest 10 over
fhey return again 20 their villages
Working IN thfs way. In troops OF
wandering laborers. there VAS no
room for any permanent relationships
between themselves and their EN-
pioyers: such relationships. for en-
ample. as exist 10 spite ofsshe differ
ence OF race and color. between every
white planter IN the eouth and hts
negro tenants. On the other. hand.
che hand. the iaborers. working ana
living together in the way have de-
scribed. come 20 have = strong sense
OF their common interest. al the
more. perhaps. because they are look.
"a down upon by the rest OF the pop
citation. and particularly by the small
land owners with whom they had
been associated up 20. the time 81
their emancipation IN is4s.
About 1890. . series OF bad harvests.
coming on the heels. OF other changes
which. for . number OF years. had
mAde their lives steadily harder. help
eG 20 increase the discomfort Of the
agricultural laborers. Thus u vas
shat when. about this time. the 90
esaiists turned their attention TO the
agricultural population OF Hungary.
obey found the people prepared 10 liz
0@8 20 their doctrine.
What made socialism the more
popular. among the lowess farming
classes was the fact that II not only
promised 20 teach the farm iaborers
nov they might increase their wages.
S9e declared that the state was going
20 take up the land oiit of the hands
@s the large land owners and divide
Sc among the people who cultivated r.
What made the situation the more