Carrizozo outlook. [volume] (Carrizozo, N.M.) 1910-1945, 1915-01-22
NATIONS LABOR
PROBLEM
OVER A MILLION AND A HALF
WOMEN WORK AS FARM HANDS
IN THE UNITED sTATES.
BY Peter Radford

Lecturer National Farmers Union.
Our government never faced so tire.
mendous n 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 1.bi4,000 women
working In the field, most Of them
south OF the Mason and Dixon line.
There we're 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 shnckles OF the negroes
and welded them upon our daughters.
The chaln.oano Of clvIllz atIon.
A million women In bondage In the
southern fields form the chaln-gang OF
civilization 49, the Industrial tragedy
OF the age. There is no overseer quite
so cruel as nat OF unrestralned greed,
no whip that stings like the lash OF
suborned destiny, and no a~uctioneer's
block quite 20 revolving as that Of or.
ganized avarice.
The president OF the United States
was recently H. ded 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'
aeers threatened TO strike II their
wage we're not Increased from ap-
proximately ten to eleven dollars per
1ay and service reduced from ten TO
eight hours and a similar readjust-
nent OF the overtime schedule. Our
women are working In the field, many
CT them barefooted. for less than so
cents per day, and their schedule Is
the rising sun and the evening star,
and after the days work Is owe 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 n strike?
Congress has listened al lovingly
10 those who toll at the forge and be-
hind the counter, and many OF our
statesmen have sIniled nj the threats
and have famed the fame OF unrest
among Industrial lnborers. But won.
en- are as surely the final victims Of
industrial warfare as they are the
burden.bearer in The war between mn.
lions. and those who arbitrate and
mediate the differences between capt.
tai and labor should not forget that
when the expenses Of any induatry are
unnecessarily Increased. society foots
the hill nv drafting n new consignment
OF women from the home 10 the field.
pinch no crumh From Women's Crust
Of Bread.
No financial award can be maze
without aomeone footing the hill. and
we 20 those who accent the
responsibiIity OF the distribution OF IA.
dustrial Justice. the still small voice OF
the woman In the field as abe pleada
for mercy. and we beg that they pinch
no crumb from her crust OF bread or
nut another match upon her ragged
garments.
We beg that they listen 10 the
scream OF horror from the eagle on
every American dollar that Is wrung
from the brow OF toillng women and
hear the Goddess Of Justice hiss at a
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
dafanaa and tho puintt nieada FOR