Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1914-12-17
NATIONS LABOR
PROBLEM
OVER A MILLION AND A HALF
WOMEN WORK AS FARM HANDS
IN THE UNITED (STATEv.
BY Peter Radford
Lecturer National Farmers Union

mendous a 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 it's face in shame.
That problem is-women in the field
The last federal census reports
show we now have 1,514,O00 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 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 changing 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 auctioneer's
block quite so reYolting as 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 their
schedule of time and pay. The engi-
neers threatened to strike if their
wages We're not increased from APP
proximatnly ten to eleven dollars per
day and service reduced from ten to
eight hours and similar readjust-
ment of the overtime schedule. Our
women are working in the field, many
of them barefooted, for less than so
cents per day, and their schedule is
the rising sun and the evening star,
ard 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 tanned the flame of unrest
among industrial laborers But wom-
| en- are as surely the final victims of
| industrial warfare as they are the
burden-bearers in the war between ma
tions, and those who arbitrate and
mediate the differences between CAPT.
tai and labor should not forget that
xuhn 1n of ind, 20
unnecessarily increased, society foots
the 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 or
every American dollar that is wrung
from the brow of toiling women an6
hear the Goddess of Justice hiss at q
5 verdict that increases the want oil
woman to satisfy the greed of man.
The women behind the counter ant
in the factory cry aloud for sympathy
and the press thunders out in theil
defense and the pulpit pleads fol
mercy. but how about tine woman il
the field9 Will not these powerful
opponents of human rights turn theil
talent, energies and influence to hel
/ relief? Will the Goddess of Libert.
enthroned at Washington hold the cal
loused hand and soothe the feverisf
the nations harvest or will she permi
the male of the species to shove
women-weak and weary-from tn,
bread-line of Industry to the back al
lcys of poverty?
Women and Children First
The census enumerators tell us tina
Of the ,514 900 women who work in TIN
fields as farm hands 400 600 are six
teen years of age and under. What il
the final destiny of nation whose flu
ture mothers spend their girlhood day
behind the pillow, pitching hay ant
hauling manure. and what is to becom
of womanly culture and refinemen
that grace the home, charm societ
and enthuse man to leap to glory il
noble achievements if our daughter
are raised in the society of the OK an
the companionship of the plow?
In that strata between the ages o
sixteen and fortyfive are $4,000 won
en- working as farm hands and man
of them with sucking babes tus
ging at their breasts as drenche
in perspiration, they WELD the scyth
and guide the pillow. What is to b.
come of that nation where povert
breaks the crowns of the queens {
the home; despair hurls a mother
love from it's throne and hunger drive
/ innocent children from the schoOlrool