The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1919-05-22

3 Higher wages for Southern labor
will mean higher prices for Southern
farm Sproducts. An abundance Of
cheap land just after the Civil War
forced down prices of corn and wheat
in the West. In the same way an
abundance of cheap labor forced
down prices of cotton and tobacco
here in the South. Lincoln's proc
lamation set free 100000 Negro
farm workers. They had low living
standards, worked for low wages,
and their cheap labor made cheap cot
ton-because the world pays for
product only about what it costs to
make. Now Negro farm labor is no
longer abundant or cheap. Negroes
are going into town industries. They
know what wages they can get in
West Virginia and Pennsylvania coal
mines, in street work in Northern
cities, or in railroad or factory work
nearer home. Consequently the Me-
gro is coming to demand practically
the same wages for farm work as he
could get for town work, and will not
make cotton unless he can get such
wages. This means that in order to
get enough cotton, cotton prices must
go high enough to meet this increas-
ed expense.
q. Higher wages for town labor
means better markets for farm pro-
ducts. All over the world town Ia
Dor is better organinZed and better
paid than ever before. Labor is get
ting larger share of the profits that
once went to capital. This fact helps
the farmer i'm two ways. In the first
place, it means a better market for
farm products. Millions of town
laborcrs in the past have been under
nourished. They haven't had food
enough to keep them practically "fit."
The first thing the town laborer
wants when he gets better wages is
better food. Better wages for town
labor therefore means kcencr com
and therefore better prices for the
farmer. In the second place, the high |
wages which the town laborer now |
demands-and gets-from his en-
ploycr makes the farmer more indie
pendent. "If you don't give me fair
prices for my products, l know what
can do" says Mr.. Farmer. 81 can
go to town and become town labor
err"
5. Good schools and the rule of the |
people will help farm conditions. All
over Europe and Asia where the peas
ant farmers have been kept
in ignorance and held down by Cars
and emperors, the people are getting
on top. They are getting an education
which enables them to know their
rights, and are also getting popular
rule which enables them to obtain
those rights. These peasant farmers
are going to demand more and get
more for labor and for their products
than ever before. This will help
raise prices for farmers in all other
lands.
These are some Of my reasons for
believing that the prices Of farm pro-
ducts will be higher in the future than
in the past. In other words, believe
that the man who uses more muscular
labor will get better pay than hereto
fore. Nevertheless, the big fact you
need to remember is that such labor
will never give man real profit.
A bare living is all it will provide
AS have said on previous occasions:
"Where skill and intelligence be-
gin there profit begins. In that part
of farming where competition with
the most ignorant-that is to say,
with mere muscular labor-must be
faced, there is no profit. 1t is only az
we advance into branches where skill
and trained intelligence are required
that profit begins"
So it is that while the farmer who
uses muscle only may hope for a
somewhat better living than hereto
fore, it will still be only living
And il you put yourself on a working
level with the mere muscle-farmer
anywhere ignorant Chinese or
Hindu farmer, or the ignorant farmer
at your own door--you must also
accept his pay-levcl. If you farm az
he does, you must live as he does.
The way out is plain. These igno-
rant farmers in other lands are only
33 per cent farmers. The way to get
out Of competition with them is to be
"A GG per cent or 100 per cent farmer.
These ignorant farmers here and else
where make only one proft---a profit
from farming az an industry. Your
way tut is making three profits
one profit from farming as an indus
try, one from it as a profession, and
one from it as business.
AS matter Of fact, these ignorant