Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1914-12-04
N'T|0l'S LABOR
PROBLEM
Oven 4 MILLION AND: 4 HALF
WOMEN WORK As FARM HANDS
IN THE UNITED eTATEe-
BY Peter Radferd
Lecturer National Farmers' Onion

IN the UNITED STATES,
BY Peter Radferd
fHcturer National Farmers' Onion
Orr government never faced 30 tre-
mendous a problem as that now iyins
dormant at the doors of Congress ana
the legislatures, and which, wneo
aroused. will shake this nation from
center to circumference, ana maze
civilization hide it, face In shame.
That problem is-women in the neio.
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 million
negro slaves working In fhs heids
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.
Tho chain-Gang Of Civilization.
A million women in bondage IA the
southern fields form the chain-ganS o.
civilization the industrial traSeay
of the age. There il no oversesr quite
SO cruel as that Of unrestreand greed,
no whip that stings like the lash OF
suborned destiny, and no auctioneers
block quite so revolving as that OF or
organized avarice.
The president Of the United States
was recently lauded by the press. and
very properly 80, for suggesting meoi-
alton between the engineers and rail-
road managers in adjusting their
schedule of time and pay. The engi-
neers threatened to strike II their
wages were not increased from ap-
proximately ten to eleven dollars per
day and service reduced from ten TO
eight hours and similar read5ust-
ment of the overtime schedule. Our
women are working in the field, many
of them barefooted, for less than 10
cents per day, and their schedule -
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 medal
ing over their problems. and to whom
shall they threaten strike?
Congress has listened approvingly 70
those who toll at the forge and behind
the counter, and many Of our states
men have smiled at the threats ana
have famed the flame OF unrest among
industrial laborers But. women are
as surely the final victims Of industrial
warfare as they are the burden-bearers
In the war between nations. and those
who arbitrats and mediate the differ
ences between capital and labor should
not forget that when the expenses o.
any industry are unnecessarily In.
creased, society foots the bill by draft.
Ing a new consignment Of women from
the home to the field.
'su1n no Crumb from Women's Crust
of Bread.
No financial award can be made
without someone footing the bill. and
Ne commend to those who accept the
possibility of the distribution of
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
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 toiling women and
hear the Goddess OF Justice hiss at q
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? Will not these powerful
opponents of human rights turn their
talent, energy 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 a.
leys 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 400 900 are
sixteen years Of age and under. What
Is the anal destiny Of q nation
whose future mothers spend their girl
hood days behind the pillow. pitching
hay and hauling manure, and what is
to become Of womanly culture and re-
fnement that grace the home. charm
society and enthuse man to leap to
glory in noble achievements our
daughters are raised in the society of
the OK and the companionship Of the
plow!
In that strata between the ages Of
sixteen and forty-fve are $4,000
women working as farm hands and
many of them with sucking babes
fugging at their breast, as drenched
In perspiration, they WELD the scythe
and guide the pillow. What Is to be-
come Of that nation where poverty
breaks the crowns Of the queens of
the home; despair hurls q mothers
love from its throne and hunger drives
innocent children from the schoolroom
TO the hoef
The Census Bureau shows that 1885,
900 OF these women are forty-fve
years Of age and over. There y no
more pttiful sight IN civilization thaA
these sanity mothers Of Israel stopped
with age. drudging In the field from
sun until sun and at night drenching
their dingy pillows with the tears Of
despair - their aching hearts take
It ali to God in prayer. Civilization
strikes them . blow when Il should
give them . crown. and their only
friend is He who broke bread with
beggars and said Come unto me all
ye that are weary and heavy laden and
! will give you rest"
Oh. America! the land Of the free
and the home Of the brave. tho
worlds custodian Of chivaIry, the
champion Of human rights and the de-
fender Of the oppressed shall We per.
NIT our maidena fair to be torn from