The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-10-14


calling for the available labor. New
roads building here and there are call |
ing for hands, and the farm and fac |
tory fad their supply drawn against |
from time to time.
Years ago the farm was practically |
the only thing to demand labor. Lum-
Der began TO clamOr for help, as well
put in their claims. Then the bud
ding mills. Now 1t is everything. and
everything feels the competition that
every other industry puts up for
labor.
1t is impossible to travel a Sabbath
days journey in any quarter of the
State without seeing farms that show
this fatal result of drafting labor
from the farm to the other industries.
that have sprung up as rivals for
labor. Here is GuilfOrd county the
situation would be acute, as it would
be acute in every other section of the
State were it not that the other lines
Of industry enable the workers to
earn money to provide for their wants
as abundantly as the farm could.
1t Hurts Guilford.
I look out over the fine farm op-
portunities in Guilford county, and it
seems a pity that SO much good land
is not in use supplying the market
that is at the door in many flourish
ing shops and factories. The whole
trouble is in the want Of enough peo-
pie to run the factory and the farm
both. So good Guilford county money
goes out to the North and the West
to buy food stuffs, and the farms look
on in helplessness.
It Is the same way all over the State.
Possibly it is matter for congratula-
l hot No hoc St
resources Of every sort that this con-
dition can be possible. for after all. it
is a condition similar to that OF the
North Carolina farmer who declared
that he had lost six thousand dollars
one fall by not having hogs enough to
eat up all the acorns that were fall
ing from the trees around his place.
The State Is probably doing the best
possible when the people are In the
factories. It seems to- be impossible
for the labor at hand to operate farm
and factory both, so hands divide their
efforts and work both places, leaving
undOne those many things that cannot
be reached. A year or SO ago. re
call noticing from the car windows
fields in which cotton was yet on the
stalks from the previous fall, while
men were plowing close by for the
crop about to be planted. The cottoI
had been made, but could not b
gathered.
Men tell me here in Guilford county
that there is a sort Of return move
lment from the factory to the farm. II
other sections I have heard the same
thing. A carpenter remarked that i
; did not pay to work for wages during
the summer when he could make ;
crop on his farm and have mor'
money from it and more agreeable
occupation. Over in Chatham th'
: other day contractor said PRACTICAL!
. the same thing, that his men were in
) clined to leave him as spring cam'
along and go to their farms for tn
summer, and that he had half a Tnint
to give up his line Of work and 81
back to the farm himself.
> 1t is an interesting fact that mos
Of the men / talk to on this subjec
have farms, and even once in whll
the farm fever seems to take posses
, sion Of them, and back they go to tn
:: land. In the southern part Of tn
State, notice that many Of the mel
who are stockholders in the factorie
are also land holders and farmers, am
: that they try to arrange the farm
) work SO that the hands can be mad
: permanent residents on the place
, This is done partly by having ne'
ground to clear, cattle to look afte
. at the idle seasons. or anything tina
will afford employment along Wit
other production than simply tn
staple crops.
r But even this does not increase tn
! supply Of labor 1t simply adjust
conditions SO that which is at han
: can be made as nearly permanent a
8 possible.