St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1914-09-25
THE WOMAN IN THE FIELD
The Farm Woman Needs Relief
More Than Her City Sister.
BY Peter Rsdford.

Lecturer National Farmers Union.
Much has been said and more writ.
ten about the woman in the factory
and behind the counter. but how about
the woman who works in the field,
want 10 say a few words in her be-
half ! regret a necessity that com
pels woman to work for a livelihood,
and ! favor not only shortening her
hours, but freeing her from manual
labor entirely. I crave for society
that high standard OF excellence where
the home is womans throne aud her
life is devoted to molding the char
acter and elevatlng the thought OF
the rising generation. But so long as
want. greed and misfortune prevail in
this world, women. through choice or
necessity, will work, and perhaps
they will work at one task or another
as many hours per day as they please.
We may pity the weak and admire
the strong in their struggle, but the
farm woman is entitled to her share
OF sympathy and reward.
All Must Toll.
The labor problem. as relates 70
men, is most vexatious one, and
when we apply II TO women II becomes
more seriously complicated. We will
always have TO work unless some po.
litlcal genius can put a law on the
statute book that will enable us to
live without labor. So long as every
person must meet toll face 10 face. the
best we can do is to equitably dis.
tribute the burdens and reward labor.
and II there is to be revision OF
wages and a shortening OF hours. I
want the farm woman 10 get her
share. She has more reason 10 oom.
plain than any other class OF tollers
She has, as n rule, fewer comforts,
fewer pleasures, less recreation and
less opportunity for enjoyment than
her sister In the city. She has net
80 many conyeniences and fewer luy
urles and less 10 be thankful for than
women who live In the town. but she
tolls on, n model OF consistency, pa.
tionce and womanly devotion. Ger.
tainly she should be the nrst TO be
rewarded.
The Real Labor Problem 10 on the
Farm.
The great dailiss with flaming head.
limos deplors the lot Of women who
toll In the cities. the city pulpit
thundors with sympathy for her. and
the Legislators crate In her behalf,
but not a line IL written. n word said
or speech delivered In the interest
of the million women WHO labor on
the farm. Where one woman works
In the cities In this state. there are q
mothers toiling IN the field,
aud no mention 10 made OF II. Is the
woman In the city entitled 10 any
more consideration than the woman
ON the FARM I contend that she is
not. The city woman may be more
easily restrained by legislation. and
she may hive more attentive Au.
dionce when she cries aloud. but the
real labor problem. In no far as II re.
latos 10 women and children. is on
The farm-whore mother and child.
the hoe and gathering the
harvest. toll day In and day out with.
lut hope Of reward.
The City Life Puny.
The farm women work from sun
until sun. They do their housework
,nd lull u hAlf.million babes 20 sleep
after tho chickens so to roost. and
hey get breakfast and milk thu COWS
before the lark sings. The city wo.
nan frequently chafes under hard. |
'hips that the farm woman would
consider blessing. The city people |
ire great takers and ofttimes great,
y magnify their troubles and enlarge
heir accomplishments. This charao,
erlstlc permeates organized society |
Is well as enters into the individual |
ife OF cities, There are orphan asy.
ums which are doing commendabis |
work and should be encouraged. that |
'oast OF their accomplishments. but |
have seen widows In the country |
make a cron, drink branch water and |
at corn.bread and molAsses and
aise more children and better chill
lren than many OF these city orphan
isylums, The cities need TO get back
q the soil with their ideals. They
re hyster'aal, puny and feeble In
heir conception OF life. it's require
nents aud lts opportunities.