Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-02-11
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PAY OF THE LABORERS.


 --is that the wage of farm laborers is considerably less than that of city lahorers doing approximately the same class of work
 Whether or not this is true is an open field for discussion. Many per- eons whes ought to- know say that taking it "all around" the wage of farm laborers is not at low ebb Everyone with k experience knows that 1t isn't how much money one handles that counts, but how much oi it one can ghcld; how much of it dne is not forced to expend for living expenses. E
 In the country living expenses arc lower than in any city. Farm hands usually have their board and lodg- ings included with their pay, which is no mean item If the farm laborer is married, his family usually lives in a house provided sn the place, and what the family eats is usually pro- vided for by the farmer, nscessitat- ing an individual arrangement with the laborer that usually affects his wages in money.
 Conditions diff in various Fl .! sec Sec lions of the country, of course. The government has complied figures as an average throughout the country that read like this: When board is furnished the monthly wage for farm labor is $21.05; day waSss, $1.13; da! wages for harvest hands, $1.55; when board Is not furnished the monthly wagss for farm labor is $29.SS; day wages, $1.45; day wages for harvest hands, $1.91.
 The states where highest farm wages prevail, psr month with board, are Nevada, $39; Montana, $36.tG; Utah, $36; Idaho, $35.70; and Ca2- fornia, $35.S0. In these states wages without board are about $15. a; mt n.!, more.
 The states whsre lowest farm wages prevail per month with board are: South Carolina, $l2; Mississippi sl2.7o; Georgia, $1a.So; Alabama, si3, and |. uisiana, $1i.3o. ,n these states wages without board are about SC a month more.
 
 It is evident that tho presence <! negro labor andN'a low cosi of living ,n the Southern states las it's "ffect on the prevailing wage of tarm labor.
 The average hours of labor on farms by seasons are, the government says, as follows. Spring. 9 heus,s.. assaIllss asla!Illls utes; summer, 10 hours, at mlnutes' fall, 9 hours 52 minutes: winter. \ hours. 3 minutes. The ;onyeat aver age hours the year ar~nnd are III Wisconsin, Minnesota. ani North and South Dakota; the shortest are in Utah, Nevada, Arizona al.i Wyoming In the '"long, hour" states ,iairyias is believed to be the cause. in the "shor' hodr"' states cattle raising is said te affect the averages.
 Compared with the. same grade ol |city employment, the a,osws are not |noticeably longer, considering the time the city worker must consum' in going to and from wcrk. Also, i the city worker deducts his house rent and food bill from his wages, ht can coma to better understandin; on the relative value of working Il the city and on the farm. Thousand' l of city workers have gone into farn work in recent years, particularl! lduring the Iase business depression
 Of course, married farm lahore has a harder row to hoe than the un married man; he cannot move abou las frequently and it costs him nor to live than if he were unmarried But the same is true of the cit, werker, and to a greater extent. The social status of ths farn iiaborer is improving, In mapysssc tions of the country preference ishbwpsfprs hands that boasd { them selves. This has, a, tendency stos giv Ethem d betttrs standing in the com 'uuni,y and works for their indepen .dence. & ,1s.a.sis ,,ssas.s, q s'' ssssl "