The Natchitoches enterprise. (Natchitoches, La.) 1888-1965, 1914-12-03
NATIONS LABOR
PROBLEM
Over a million and a Half Wo-
men Work as Farm Hands
in the United States.
By Peter Radford
eturer National Farmers Union.

By Peter Radford
eturer National Fsrrners' Union.
f, Our government never faced so
tremendous problem as that
Row lying dormant at the doors
OF Congress and the legislatures,
I and which, when aroused, will
| shake this nation from center to
circumference, and make civiliza-
tion hide it's face. in shame. That
problem is-women in the field.
:, The last Federal census reports
show we now have i,5l4,0O0
women working in the field,
most Of them south Of the Ma
son and Dixon line. There were
approximately a 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
the negroes and welded them
. upon Our daughters.
The Chain Gang Of Civilization.
! A million women in bondage
In the southern fields form the
] ehain-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 auctioneer's block quite SO
! revolving as that Of organized
avarice.
The president Of the United
| States was recently lauded by the.
press, and very properly 50, for
! suggesting mediation between the
! engineers and railroad managers
| In adjusting their schedule of
time and pay. The, engineers
| threatened to strike if their wages
! were not increased from approx
! imately ten to eleven dollars per
| day and service reduced from ten
! to eight hours and 2 similaE, read
jrskment Of the overtime sched-
6ss. Our women are working in
the field, many of them barefoot
ed, for less than 50 cents per
day, and their schedule 10 the ris-
ing sun and the evening s.ar, and
after the. days work is ever they
tnilk the cows, slop the Aogs and
rock the baby to sleep. IS anyone
mediating, over their problems,
/ and to whom shall they threaten
. strike?
Congress has listened app.ov-
i1gly to those who toll at the
forge and behind the counter, and
many Of our statesmen have smiled
at the threats and have tanned
: the fame Of unrest among indus
tslal laborers. But women are as
surely the final victims Of indus
dustrial warfare as they>-are the
bufden-bearers. in the war be-
tween nations, and those who ar
bitrate and mediate the differ
ences between capital and labor
: should not forget that when the
expenses Of any industry are un-
necessarily increased, society
!. facts the bill hY drafting q 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 some one footing the bill,
sndEwe commend to those. who
accept the, responsibility of, the
distribution of industrial justice,
the still small voice,oi the woman
in the field as. she pleads for
/; mercy, and we beg that .they
| pinch No erHmb .frem her erHst
~ bread or put another patch up
On her ragged garments. "a
We beg that they; listen to. the
| scream Of horrer from the eagle
/, on every American dollar that 10
wrung from the brow OF toiiing
/. women and hear the Goddess OF
/ Justice hiss at . verdict that In.
/; ereAses the want. ;oi woman to
satisfy the greed OF man.
The wosnen behind the counter
and in the factory cry. aloud for
sympathy and the press thunders
/ out ia their defense and the pNlr
.fpit pleads fer, mercy; but how
about the woman in the field !?
Will not these powerful expon-
ents of ftinfaA rights turn their
| talent, energy and influence to
/ her reliefs =yvilf. the Goddess OF
/ Liberty enthroned at Fashinr-