Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1914-09-23
Feminine Slavery on the Farms
Near London.
Mothers Have q % Rough Field
Work % Keep Husbands' Employ,
msnt-Povsrty Of Laborsrs In
VILLAGES ~ Extensive.

#&l0ndOu.-ller0 mas oeen
with the farmer, writes Harold Beg
bic in the London Chronicle. The far
mer said to the laborer one day. Why
$is your wife not in the hopfields 2"
The laborer answered,S"She's i'll at
home" IT can't help that" said the
farmer, "any one who occupies q cot
tage OF mine has got to tie up the
hops; you know that we'll enough,
The man went home and talked it
over with his wife. They decided to
look for another job. Better wages
were oneredsto them In . village farth-
er south and today they are going
away with their furniture on . wagon.
The man has been earning 16 shilll-
ings : week. He pays nothing for
s:his cottage, but the freedom Of the
cottage entities the farmer to call up
sonshis wife for the work OF hop tying.
The hops have to be tied. three times,
and the women ! allowed one day
on for their washing. This woman.
starting In the last week Of April, had
been twice over her acre of 1900.
hills. BY May 20. The farmer gave
her eight shillings. Unhappily the
children 9 Ill and couldsnot be sent
to school; the woman had to take
them with her into the fields. and she
says that she paid more than the eight
shillings she earned by the months
hard work In repairs for their boots.
You can understand that there was a
disposition on the part Of man and;
wife stoElook out for something rather,
better. ss$# Ss3E
SIS it not in the nature Of slavery
that ! woman should be forced into
the fields, that she should be com
PEELED to do very hard. rough work for
her husbands employer. and that she
should have no Voice In the matter Of.
her wages! This particular woman 10.
V very poor specimen OF the human
race; she suffers from terrible neu-
sralsic pains In the head--anecting her
eyesight badly; her cottage was not :
pleasant place to visit; she$seemedsto
have no heart for her life. But to 60
twice over an acreSof 4, 200 hills"
finding her own PUSHES and TO he paid
eight shillings Of the. end---this strikes
one asScruel and wicked.
When the hops are grown on wires
the women are paid eight shillings
asweek; but no one can say that eight
;shillinlgs Is reasonable wage. And
where the work has to BIZ. done at the
peril Of the husbands employment,
at the peril OF being turned out Of
house and home-even q house which
ID like ! dog, %hole--oae may Justly say
that the thing partakes Of the nature
of slavery.
This women was once employed by
another woman Of higher class, but
when the hop tying season came she
had to leave this work, had to give up
her higher wages and had to go into;
the fields. The daughter Of another
cottager, earning fair wages in q laun-
dr.. had TO relinquish this employ
ment and accept what the farmer paid
for hop tying. They have no freedom
In the matter
But what strikes me in this scandal
OF woman slavery Is the silence Of pub
lie opinion. Here in . very prosper
Gus village, crowded with rich resi-
dents. and not very far from$London,
awoman can be forced to do this i'll
paid held labor without one word Of
condemnation BY the church. An.
admirable attempt is being made by
the new church Of England newspaper.
the Challenge, to create a communal
spirit, to restore the essential charac-
ter Of brotherhood, 70 make the church,
realize her duty to the poor. But how
3dihhcult that Is! The church In this
particular village ID very much alive.
The services are more beautiful and,
;reverent than any I have ever sexpe-3
5rienced In country districts. The rich
give large sums Of: money. The clergy
Ii devout. You would be aston.
stshed by the catholic spirit OF the