The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-12-10
FARM LABOR PROBLEMS.

lnQlcaClOnS ana reports received
from scattered rural communities
point to backward swing OF the
labor pendulum with the prospect
that during the coming year farmers
of the State should have at their
command a more adequate supply
of labor than at any time since the
outbreak of the war;" says DR..
Thomas B. Symons Director of the
University of Maryland Extension
Service.
Industrial depression in the
cities with its consequent uncer-
tainty of regular and remuneratIve
labor, combined with high rents and
other high living costs, is already
forcing back to the farms numerous
farm hands who during the period
of big wages we're drawn from their
former occupations to better paying
work in the cities.
"The farm labor shortage reached
it's peak last spring." says DR.. .Sy-
mons, when it was estimated from
reports received from all the coun-
tries of the State that available
farm labor was 12k per cent less
than during the previous year. The
situation will undoubtedly be less
acute next spring when farmers
begin to look about for necessary
help.
"In many respects the shortage of
labor has had it's beneficial effects
upon the farmer. 1t has shown him
what he can do in an emergency.
AS a matter of fact with a labor
supply considerably less than ever
before, the farmers of Maryland
have succeeded in producing this
year crops 1913 per cent in excess of
the 10-year average. The situation
also has pointed out the value OF
modern farm machinery which has
been forced on many farmers who
otherwise might have delayed i'll its
introduction.
more important, however, it has
brought to the attention of the
farmer the desirability of improving
the conditions of the average farm
laborer. This means better living
conditions. 1t is doubtful if the
farmer ever will be able to compete
with the city employer in mere cash
remuneration. The cash returns
from farming will not permit the
payment of excessively high wages.
"On the other hand the farmer
can and does offer his labor many
things which are beyond the power
of the city employer to include in
his inducements to labor. In the
case of an unmarried farm hand, the
farmer can offer free quarters and
free board. In the case of the ten
ant farm hand, he can offer free
house rent, free fuel and garden
space which will provide fair
share of the laborer's living. Con-
sequently the money remuneration
offered by the farmer is practically
clear and is frequently more than
the city laborer has left at the end
of the month when his bills for liv-
ing expenses have been paid.
I'm the matter of living condi-
tions, however, the farmer should
give more thought to the comfort of
his help. He should not forget that
one of the big inducements held out
by the city to the farm laborer is
the fact that the city affords modern
homes with heat, light and running
waiter. Even though these conven-
fences must be paid for, they offer
an attraction which has probably
been equally responsible with high
er wages for taking labor away
from the farm.
'The situation of the past few
years should be a pretty forceful
argument for the farmer in regard
to the treatment of his labor. 1t is
noteworthy fact that on many
farms where living conditions had
been made attractive for the ten
ants, there has been no complaint of
labor shortage even during the past
acute situation. The farmer who is
wise and who would escape another
labor shortage will try to arrange
his work so that he can offer steady,
reliable hands year-round employ
ment and furnish them attractive
living conditions. 1t goes without
saying that farm labor as we'll as
other labor must become more eff
cient and that the farmer cannot
continue to pay war wages with
present prices of farm products"
-0-