The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-06-22

| NdluaDIe from war STANDPOINT, the
are not helping Mt all to solve the prob
! lem OF permanent farm help. But tn,
man who expects TO work on farm
steadily, year in and year out, Is pro
foundry interested in the question O.
housing, living conditions and net re
muneration for farm work as compared
| with town work.
Provide Good Homes.
The attitude of thousands Of married
men who are skilled farm workers
who have left the country to find towr
employment, but who will return tC
farm work permanently provided farm
living conditions are comparable In or
binary comforts to those in town. IS
expressed in this letter recextly pub.
lished in q Texas paper:
81 am sending in my view of the
farm labor problem. l have heen try.
Ing to get job on the farm the last
month; still trying to do so. / can find
plenty Of Jobs for single man
have no tenant houses, or If they have
one 1t would not make q good stable.
Most Of the farmers that have found
will not permit q farm hand to raise q
garden or chickens or hogs or own O
COW or horse, and the prevalent pay
Is insufficient to support family I'm.
der such conditions. l believe If the
farmers would build comfortable
houses and either pay better wages OF
give more privileges, 1t would be the
city man calling for help instead of the
farmers"
There are many evidences Of an in.
creasing desire on the part Of men with
families, now living In towns and cit
les but with experience as skilled farm
workers, to go back to the country.
They left the farm because they be,
lieved they could make more money, gel
more satisfaction out of life, give more
pleasures and opportunities to theil
families in town. Many have been dis
appointed. They are willing to return
to the farm at q smaller cash wage
than they receive in town, if they have
a fairly good house and are allowed to
have a garden and raise a few pigs
and perhaps have the use of COW.
Labor Problem Remains.
What about It? You are farmer
and you are looking for permanent
farm help; not only emergency help
to produce and harvest war crops, but
a man or men to live on your farm and
work the year round. Are your tenant
houses the kind of places man would |
like for his family to call home? Are
they the kind you would like to live
IN?
"Oh!" you say. "The other man Is |
looking for a job and am not. own |
he farm; he wants to work on the |
'arm. Do you expect the hired hand |
% have as good a house as the owneri |
Il he doesn't like this house he can |
cave it,"
Well, the trouble Is that Is Just what |
lie will do-and you will continue to
lave q farm labor problem on your
hands. OF course no one expects the
hired hand to have as good a house as
he farmer: But he does want a com.
ortable place for his family to live in,
md failure to find that on the farms is
me of the reasons for the steadily de-
reasing supply Of permanent farm
lelp In recent years.
1t may not please the farmer to face
he fact nevertheless the truth Is that
he skilled farm hand is in a position
o be quite as Independent about the
roposition as the farmer himself
When the farmer says Take this house
r leave It," the really hrst-class man
nows he can get a good job else
he leaves!
So it may be profitable for some
all, Of course-to think
nat over, bearing in mind that let.
er Of the Texas man to the effect that
the farmers will offer thar perman-
Mt help good houses, fair wages and
ONE privileges, at will be the city
ian calling for help instead Of the
lrmer."