The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-11-23
NATIONS lBRlR
Problem
OVER A MILLION AND A HALF
WoMENWoRt<A AS FARM HANDS
iN.THE UNITED STATES.
BY Peter Radford
Lecturer National Farmers Union

Our government never faced SO ire
mendous 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 $4,000 women
working in the field, most. of them
south of the Mason and Dixon line
There were approximately million
negro slaves working in the fields
when liberated by the emancipation
proclamation. We have freed our
slaves and our women have taken
their places in bondage. We have
broken the shackles Of tho negroes
and welded them upon our daughters
The chain-Gane of Civilization.
a '''on women in bondage in the
soul. leids form tho chain.gang OF
civilization the industrial tragedy
of the age. There is no oyerGeer quite
SO cruel as that of unrestrained greed,
no whip that stings Ike the lash Of
suborned destiny, and no auctioneer's
block quite SO revolving Us that OF or
ganized avarice.
The president of the United States
was recently lauded by the press, and
very properly SO. for suggesting medi'
alton between the engineers and rail-
road managers in adjusting cir
schedule OF time and pay. The eesi.
neers threatened to strike IL their
wages were not increased from ap'
proxlmately ten to eleven dollars p0
day and service reduced from ten to
eight hours and q similar readjust'
ment of the overtime schedule. Our
women are working IN the field, many
of them barefooted, for less than 50
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 strike?
Congress- has listened approrinGly
to those who toll at the forge and be-
hind tho counter, and many Of our
statesmen have smiled at the threats
and have famed the flame OF unrest
among Industrial laborcrs. But won.
en- are as surely tho final victims OF
Industrial warfare as they are the
burden-bearers in the war between ma
lions, and those who arbitrate and
mediate the differences between 'capi.
tai and labor should not forget that
when the expenses Of any industry are
unnecessarily increased, society foots
the bill by drafting new consignment
of women from the home to the field.
Pinch no crumb From Women'a Crust.
of Bread,
No financial award can be mado
without someone footing the bill, and
we commend to those who accept tho
responsibility of the distribution Of In
dustrial justice, tho still small voice Of
the woman in the field us she pleads
for mercy, and we beg that they pinch
no crumb from her crust Of bread or
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 tollng women and
hear the Goddess of Justice hiss at
verdict that increases tho want OF
woman to satisfy the greed Of man.
The women behind tho 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? Will not these powerful
exponents of human rights turn their
talent, energies and influence to her
relief? Will the Goddess of Liberty
enthroned at Washington hold the cal.