New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-14
Farm vs.. Factory
A Human Document from One W.
Has Tried Both
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: There is an old saw which state, u
figures never lie, but liars fgure.g IN 81
connection / want to locate the sour,a g..
which the farmland at $3.50 Der ,,..
secures his 500 income.
have been ono OF the farmhands
term "have been" is admirably chosen
my wages we're $40 month better than a..
stated By the Department Of Labor. b..
cannot in any manner see where the bal,,.'
comes in to make up the 500.
Nv board averaged $50 a month, Will.
laundry was high at 1926 a month. mn,
70 pay for the sleeping space occupl.1 !.
would be crime even az 81 a month H..
am going TO be liberal and say Il shovl1 !.
listed at S.
Wages, $3.50; board, $50; Laundry ,2n.
room rent, s.; total, S62.75.
This is all ever received.
Kindly advise where I shall look 70, =.
difference OF s275O, which the Dcpartm.r, !,
Labor says / receive. for surely will BE- ~
TO locate n place for il among my h.
earned savings.
I have also worked in q muuition pl,-
Remember when Haskell blow up?-.b,s
when / severed my connection with powd,-
At the munition plant / worked eight ho-.
day. received $27O for the eight hour,
1894 cents an hour, and for an average Of
dsy got meals as good as I received On q,
farm. and did not have 10 cat meat and >,
at the same time in order 20 hurry I'D h,
milking
Ny room cos. me So monthly and was mo-
ern and comfortable. ! had hot and cold vS1,
for my bath and could take as many baths 4,
desired without having to wait until Satur
day night, nor did suffer from extreme cold
in the winter while trying TO remove Noths,
Earth with little rag and basin fall o..
lukewarm rsinwater.
For years work at the plant the wg,
amounted TO S985.5O.
Nv actual expenses amounted 20 s4s5. Tx
a net surplus Of $500.50 for my year, VII.
on the farm | had but 5000 for the m,,
period.
But We have overlooked a vital factor. Z,
the farm my day was not ore Of eight noun
but one Of fourteen, and sometimes more.
Working fourteen hours a day 10 the pa.
would have accumulated during the ga
S1.724.62, while my expenses certainly wO..
not have increased, for | would have had lg
time to wear clean clothing or 20 use in Il
cultivation of better education.
Therefore, the comparison, cqualizet :
least as to hours, shows that ny net earning
for the same period were sl,239G2.
According to the Department OF Labor ,
was better off economically on tho farm. A.
cording to the farmer was better of fna,
ciaIlv and physically because Of the outdoc
exercise and high living; but according e
Uovle I was by far better prepared to looi
after my own interests after one year IN Ia
plant than | would have been after fog
years on the farm.
The question why boys leave the farm hai
never been honestly answered becaus
neither the investigators nor the farmers an
willing to tell the truth.
The BOYS leave because Of the insstiaol
greed of the farmers of the present day. VII
the never-ending list of chores or errand'
he done while resting" with the hear
breaking monotony of the daily grind whle
brings nothing but the dollar for themse7s
and with the curse OF ignorance which the
farm work places upon them.
There is no patriotism in working on
farm; there is nothing stimulating IN WaNn
ing the crops mature when nothing Is orers
TO induce that stimulation; and the boy VIZ
STAYS on the farm under present day eondl
tons is only fit for the farm.
Let all farmers appreciate the fact ina
Young men are ambitious and that they h'Y
desire TO forge ahead in the world OF grea
men and there may come a change among III
farmhands. Just so long as the farmer 81
tempts to hold down wages TO the IOSs'
scale and ignorantly dams every channel {,
BRIGHTER hopes for the boys, just so long vii
the boys continue to leave the farm az
cows and sheep and hogs and horses and see
the companionshp Of men and men and r-t,I nor
49,, II. T. HEATING
Copley, Ohio, April II, 1917.