The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1914-05-29
Advance Information 1914 Red
Book. Bureau of Labor Statis-
tics, jefferson City, Mo.

leased for Sunday, May "a, 1914.
jefferson City, Mo-, May ga de-
cided increase in wages, shorter hours
and the higher cost of boarding farm
hands, are assigned by the Bureau of
Labor Statistics of Missouri as being
partly responsible for the increase in
the cost Of living between 1894 and
1914, a period of twenty years. A
bulletin on the subject given public
ity to-day by Commissioner John L.
Fitzpatrick, while dealing chiefly with
the present cost of farm labor in Mis-
souri, as compared to its worth two
decades ago, also gives comparative
facts and figures for other states and
for various European countries to
prove that the same condition exists
elsewhere.
The increase in wages and the re
| ductiOn of the number Of hours o!
toll n day is suggested as an induce
mcnt to the unemployed of the large
cities and towns TO flock to the rural
section work on farms and live happy
and contented on the fat Of the land,
with ample time daily for recreation,
and education for those inclined to be
Studious.
In 1893 the wages of the Missouri
farm hand averaged $lf i6 n north.
including board and room. The daily
hours then ran from twelve TO Iftce',
a day, according to the season Of the
year. In the early part OF 1914 wage
had advanced to $2l66 a month with
board and room and the daily time
had gone down to ten hours. For the
year 1913, as n whole, the actual
tally time put in averaged nine hour
| and ffty-four minutes, consisting o.
ten hours during spring; eleven hours
and fifteen minutes during summer
nine hours and fifty minutes during
the fall, and eight hours and twenty
five minutes during the winter. OF
course this does not mean that the
| hands during the day for anything
work hours followed one another con
secutively but time was given farm
they say fit to take up for themselves.
H. 1909 the monthly wages Of .
boarded farm hand was $20.56 as
compared to Sl4.57 for 1889 and $l4.-
90 for 1884. From 1893 to 1913 the
advance in wages was AZ per cent,
and from 1909 to 1913 per cent.
This was for farm hands with board
and room.
As for farm hands who roomed and
| boarded themselves, in 1898 this class
was paid $20.57 month; in 1899, $50.
A; in 1909, S27.74; and in 1918, $29.-
40. The increase in wages from 1893
to 1913 amounted to Sc per cent,
which is practically in keeping with
the advance in price Of ordinary food
articles in the same period, Increases
brought about by drought and other
causes of crop failure not being taken
into consideration.
There is still another variety OF
Missouri farm help, the harvesters
who generally only work the latter
part of June and probably all of July
to help garner the huge wheat crop
In 1898 those of this class were palc
$l.l0 a day each; in 1909, $3.50 pen
day, and in 1913, S1.57; board and
room included Without board auc
room such harvest hands, in 1899
drew Sl.33 day; in 1909, $l,Sl, auD
in 1913, $l.95.
In 1913 harvest hands in Minnesota
were paid S2.43 day; Iowa, 1923
North Dakota. $40: South Dakota
| $2.37; Washington. S2.Il; ldaho,S2..
81; Montana, $2.2l; Illinois, Sl.93i
with board and room in each case
When the price paid in Missouri is
compared with other states it indi.
Gates that harvest hands would rather
work here Mt n lower price per day
than go elsewhere.
Then there is still another variety
of farm help, the man who works by
the day. whenever there is work fol
him to do. This class in 1893 aver
aged 6S cents in Missouri with board
and room, and 80 cents without. In
1909 the pay had increased to 81 q
day with board and rooms, and $l.27
without; and 1913 saw a still further
increase to $l0S day with board and
room, and i.39 without. Farm hands
in 1913 figured that a place to sleI
and three meals day averaged each
81 cents n day, In n city this low
cost of living would be impossible
especially for the high class of food
the farmer supplies his help, fully re-
alizing, that to keep them well fed
happy and comfortable meant that
much more work from each hand.
Information furnished Supervisor
of Statistics A. T. Edmondston of the
Bureau of Labor Statistics by the
United States Department of Agri.
culture is to the effect that the aver.
age length of time per day required
of hired labor on farms of the United
! States, considered as a whole, during
the spring season, was nine hours and
.fifty-four minutes; during the sum.
mer season, ten hours and ffty-four
minutes; fall season, nine hours and
fifty-two minutes, and winter season.
eight hours and thirty-three minutes,
making an average for the four sea.
sons of nine hours and forty-eight
minutes a day.
In Russia, 1901 to 1905, country la
Dor was paid 17h cents day al
sowing time; 25.7 day at hay har-
vest time and 27.7 when the wheat
crop was garnered. In 1910 wages
had gone up to 27.8 at sowing time;
1915 when the hay was harvested and
44.S cents for gathering in the wheat,
For Hungary. in ten years, the wag-
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