The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-24
SCHOOL BOYS TO ANSWER
QUERIES PROPOUNDED
Suggestions Asked OF the Boys In Col
lcgc to Help solve n Great
Problem.
FOR IMPROVEMENT or Labor
Scarcity of Farm Lnbor--Thc Rcn"on"
why-Remcdics for the Trouble Arc
to lie Sought.

Chapel Hin, n. c.. May 23.-"What Is
the labor problem in your home county
or town." What suggestions have
you to offer for the Improvement or
labor conditions In your particular VI
cinity?" These topics were furnished
an economics class Of forty university
students by Dr. G.. L. Raper, head OIL
the department of economics and cor
respondent of the United States Rural
Organization Service. as basis upon
which to gather some first-hand IN
formation relative TO labor conditions
in North Carolina. The Investigations
embraced some thirty representative
North Carolina counties The findings
unfolded by this investigation are OF
general Interest for the two-fold rea-
son OF tho general conclusions arrived
at and the detailed content of the
papers presented.
That farm labor in North Carolina
is scarce was almost universally agreed
upon. til. facts gathered from "bnch
nomc" In the some twenty strictly
agricultural counties subStantiatinH
this general statement. The reasons
assigned. In the main. for this scarcity
OF farm labor were the irregularity or
farm work and the higher prices for
labor obtained IN other pursuits. The
factories OF the towns. railroad con
struction cainps. numbering camps and
manufacturing industries We're con-
stant bidders for the scattering farm
labor. The permanency of the city
job over against the irregular work
furnished by the farm WAS presented
the strongest iuduce,ncnt for the
noating laborei 10 forsake agricultural
pursuitr.
COUNTY EMPLOY NENT nthEtU
Is ONE BIG SUGGESTION
An o1g the rcnculci suggestions Of
frrtd To check the constant shifting
OF farm labor to the mill and manu-
featuring districts were the establish
ment OF county employment bureau
aiming to provide work for farm
labor the year around rather than
for merei. four months: raising
the standard Of work. in the agricul
tural districts through the medium of
agricultural training. and by lit~ral
Immigration laws furnishing unskilled
labor 1T lower wages, thus compelling
American city laborers to return to
the farm.
The figures presented In these pa
pcrs CONTRASTING the wages paid on
farms and those paid in gainful occu-
pations in North Carolina towns ranged
around an average Of 80 cents 10 si.5c
FOR farm laborers AS over against Sl.25
TO ;: by manufacturing industries In
the towns 0f tn" State. To cite n SIN
gle concrete illustration: The average
wage paid by the textile Industries
in Charlotte was quoted at about Sl.5,
Il day. while the figures gathered from
tho farming section Of Allegheny Coun-
~ showed the average wage for farm
laborers s25 month and the noon
meal. TIL. average wage FOR farm
labor in Alamancc County ranges from
SO cents TO sl.l0 a day for men la
boreIs: from 80 cents 10 6j cents for
women laborcrs.
RECORDS FROM TEN FAMILIES
AND WHAT THEY SHOW
F'iIst-hand investigation into the
wage standards OF ten families en-
gagged In mill work I'm CASTOR County
made this exhibit: These ten fain,-
lies mad twenty-five persons working
IN mills. the youngest thirteen. one eign-
teen. and the others over eighteen
wears Of age: total wages of the ten
families. $1,000 per month: average
waR" for family per month was
5000; lowest wage OF any person.
sio.so per month: highest wage of any
person. 49, per month. The average
wage for all twenty-five persons was
s2".6n per person per month. 4 contrast
OF wage Of the man Ia borcr on the farm
was SOS n month. while he had aver
aged !. wage OF $50 since coming to the
mill.
Another observation made by these
iorty university students was that the
city employer was making the cues
ion or wages and employment or IA
horers one OF grave conccrn-adoptiae
system Of drawing on the country for
iaoorcrs and at all times supplying his
demand. The farming class. too. was
beginning to give concern 10 the ours-
ton as To how he could keen the flo.,
ing laborcr on the farm. The contin-
ued scarcity OF help In harvesting and
laying by periods or the years had
made II necessary that he deyrse
schemes to meet the emergencies.