Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1914-11-26
yATIOH'S' LABOR
PROBLEM
OVER A MILLION AND A HALF
WosEN WORK AS FARM HANDS
IN THE UNITED STATES.
By Peter Radford

Our gove1 1nt never faced so tire
fhendous problem as that now lying
dormant at the doors of congress and
the legislatures, and which, when
aroused, will shake this nation from
center to circumference, and make
civilization hide its face in shame.
That problem is-women In the field
The last federal census reports
show we now have 1.514,000 women
working in the field, most of them
south OF the Mason and Dixon line
There were approximately a million
negro slaves working in the fields
when liberated by the emancipation
proclamation We have freed ouI
slaves and our women have taken
their places in bondage. We have
broken the shackles off the negroes
and welded them upon our daughters
The ChaIn-Gang Of Civilization.
A million women in bondage in the
southern fields form the chain-gang OF
civilization - the Industrial tragedy
of the age. There is no overseer quite
so cruel as that of unrestrained greed
no whip that stings like the lash Of
suborned destiny, and no auctioneers
block quite SO revolving as that of or
ganized avarice
The president of the United States
: was recently lauded by the press, ane
very properly SO, for suggesting medi
alton between the engineers and rail
road managers in adjusting Their
schedule of time and pay. The engi
neers threatened to strike If their
wages were not increased from ap
proximately ten to eleven dollars pei
day and service reduced from ten te
eight hours and a similar readjust
ment OF the overtime schedule Our
women are working in the field, many
of them barefooted, for less than SC
cents per day, and their schedule is
the rising sun and the evening star
and after the days work Is over they
milk the cows, slop the hogs and rock
the baby to sleep Is anyone mediat'
ing over their problems, and to whom
shall they threaten a strike?
Congress has listened approvingly
to those who toll at the forge and be.
hind the counter, and many Of our
statesmen have smiled at the threats
and have famed the flame of unrest
among industrial laborers But WON
EN- are as surely the final victims OF
industrial warfare as they are the
burden-beareTs in the war between ma
tons. and those who arhitrate and
mediate the differences between CAPT.
tai and labor should not forget that
when the expenses Of any industry are
i unnecessarily increased. society foots
&tae bill by drafting new consignment
Of women from the home to the field
Pinch no Crumb From Women's Crust
of Bread.
No financial award can be made
without someone footing the bill, and
we commend to those who accept the
responsibility of the distribution of in.
dustrial Justice, the still small voice OF
the woman in the field as she pleads
for mercy, and we beg that they pinch
no crumb from her crust of bread OF
put another patch upon her ragged
garments.
We beg that they listen to the
scream of horror from the eagle on
every American dollar that is wrung
from the brow of toiling women and
hear the Goddess of Justice hiss at a
verdict that increases the want OF
woman to satisfy the greed of man.
The women behind the counter and
In the factory cry aloud for sympathy
and the press thunders out in their
defense and the pulpit pleads for
mercy, but how about the woman in
the field? VIII not these powerful
opponents of human rights turn their
talent, energies and influence to her
relief? Will the Goddess of Liberty
. enthroned at Washington hold the cal
loused hand and soothe the feverish
brow of her sex who sows and reaps
the nations harvest or will she permit
the male Of the species to shove
women-weak and weary-from the
bread-line of industry to the back al
legs of poverty?
Women and Children First.
The census enumerators tell US that
of the 1.514,000 women who work in the
fields as farm hands 100000 are six
- Years Of age and under What 10
ynag destiny of a nation whose fli-
tuF& fhers spend their girlhood DAYS
behhl 1.-The pillow. pitching hay and
haulil anure. and what is to become
OF w6G culture and refinement
that "a fine nome. charm society
!. ana enfN q man to leap to glory in
= noble acN sveznents if our daughters
are rassec1 /the society Of the OK and
the cpnpanionship Of the plow?
In that strata between the ages of
sixteen ara fprty-five are 100000 wnrn-
! en- wording as farm hands and many
of them with sucking babes tug
ging ait their breasts, as drenched
in perspiration. they WELD the scythe
and euide the plow What Is to be-
tsh igss AaIl@1 80 gasxsrty
breaks the crowns OF the queens OF
the home; despair hurls mothers
love from its throne ana hunger drives