Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-05-14
THE FARM LABOR SHORTAGE.

THE FARM LABOR SHORTAGE.
One cause of the serious shortage il
farm labor is the disappearance OF tht
old time month hand, the hired man o!
a few years ago. And the great reason
for the falling away of that type lies or
the farm itself Things have changed or
| the farm. Labor saving machinery on
the farm has worked Just as it does il
other industries. The big plows with
| their four horse teams. the improved
| implements for cultivation all acted
against the hired man as a type Farms
that kept two hired men got along
with one and many farms where inn
proved machinery made work easier
and permitted more work to be accom-
plished with less labor got along with
out a hired man at all. perhaps by
renting forty and working the rest
with home help and a day hand in
emergency. OF course the factories and
the city work Of one kind and another
at higher wages tolled men toward the
cong stad cen,ers. Another thing that
has had its effect is the turn toward
the soil of the farmers sons. In those
older days the farm son began to
scheme TO be a doctor or a lawyer or
& mere hanL He avoided the farm as
he might Nowadays the boys stay. on
the farm as a remunerative and highly
respectable career. And so from many
angles the forces pushed the old time
month hand out into the highway with
his horse and buggy 10 give place to an
occasional seeker after a few days en-
ployment Who came with bundle on
his back and d chunk of soap in his
pocket, a sort OF hobo farm worker
lacking local habitation and without
Iak!ng rect anywhere,
Farm work used TO be regular bust
ness for the hired man. He locked about
and Tired for nine months AT so
much per, his horse kept perhaps mis-
washing done. He became as one Of
the family. K he was at all deserving
He was handy about the place outside
Of his held labor. He did little jobs for
the women, kind O looked after
the farm and demanded the recognition
such responsibility should confer. But
as type he has disappeared. He isn't
here any more. He learned the carpen-
ter or stone mason or some other trade,
got job e tactc-y, found other
employment. And now we miss him,
miss him badly and wish he were here.
Farm work as hired man Is a profit
able occupation nowadays. The young
man who can hire for nine months"
now can get mighty good contract.
He can save, II he desires and has an
object in view. nearly every dollar of
his earnings. He can come away from
the farm after cornhusking in perfect
physical conCtion with the money IN
his pocket and with an understanding
Of production that will assist him all
his life in any business Of any kind
that he may take up. Farm work should
appeal 10 the young man.
And the farmer should make farm
work appeal. The young man who
comes 10 the farm should be made TO
feel that he belongs there as part Of
II during his service. he should be Of
fered steady Job. he should be treated
ed according TO his class and not &C.
cording to his position az a servant. II
farm labor is TO appeal TO the young
man Of respectabtlity It must not be
offered as 70 a mental. but as contract
petwee man and man We must re-
turn somewhat al least TO the system
that existed when the man VINO now
hires men was a hired man himself.