The New York herald., 1921-06-08

Chance for small Cultivator.
Great improvements had begun 10
take place especially in the north.
where the formation OF cooperative
societies and the institution of rurai
banks on a plan conceived by Senator
Luigi Luzzetti gave the small cultiva-
tor an opportunity 10 develop his land
with some hope OF profit to himself
In 1920 the National Institute of Credit
for Cooperation advanced 66.eo6.VOO lire
for various agricultural operations 10
SEQ cooperative societies, with $4,000
members.
The National Federation OF Workers
of the Earth, formed in 1901 has also
greatly improved the condition OF the
agricultural classes. II comprises ooV.-
900 members. 1t obtained in 1873 the
eight hour day throughout the coun-
try, besides considerable improvements
in the tariffs and contracts between
landlords and tenants. The average
wages paid for agricultural labor are
now almost equal to those paid to
industrial workers. For agricultural
employees charged with overseeing
work and the rearing of animals the
average yearly wage ranges from 1000
to 5000 lire, and these sums are gen
orally greatly increased by commissions
and bounties derived from the sale OF
animals and farm products.
Ordinary farm laborers receive an
average wage of 1B0 lire an hour and
10 lire for women. For extraordinary
services, such as planting. harvesting
and reaping. the hourly wage ranges
from LEO to so lire for men and from
LILO to 30 for women. In northern Italy
men engaged in hemp cutting receive
20 lire an hour, and women ITO lire
an hour, when food Is included without
food the men receive 2.70 lire and women
| $50 lire an hour. In addition frequent
| distributions are made to almost all
agricultural laborers of fixed quantities
| OF wine. or their equivalent value In
| money.
The nigh cost Of living" bonus varies
according to the ruling prices Of the
necessities of life. AS general rule
this bonus amounts TO. approximately 80
| per cent of the wages paid.
Eight Hour Day on Farms.
The standard workday ts fixed at
| eight hours from March to November,
| inclusive, and at six hours from Decem-
Der to February, inclusive. Overtime is
paid at the rate of ordinary wages plus
| 25 per cent. but II is not supposed TO
exceed two hours daily. In the lemon
industry men receive IL to IA lire day
plus bonuses If working In the groves,
and 1s lire day in the packing houses.
1t is to be noted. however. that owing
to festivals. weather conditions. &C., the
| agricultural laborer does not work more
than 220 days In the year.
| The declared object of the federation Is
/ to compel the State to bring under cult
walton every possible inch Of land, and II
the State will not do this to bring about
a partial socialization of the public land
| with view to preventing unemploy-
ment and compelling the intensified tion
of the national production.
In other sections of agriculture the
production has fallen of to an equally
astonishing amount. Last Year the rice
crop dropped from 5, ,o00, 900 quintals be-
fore the war to 3.000.0 900, the average
production being 65 quintals a nectar,
at cost of 216 to 229 lire. In the rice
| fields. as in other sections. is noticeable
the lack of mechanical implements.
1t has been calculated that by the
! introduction of agricultural machinery
the cost would be reduced by three-fifths
| while the production would be Increased
| by one-third. Endeavors are being made
throughout Italy to introduce scientific
methods. but a long period must elapse
before the majority of the peasant
classes are sufficiently educated to ap-
|
! tion and the intensifying use of fer
tilizers.
Sardinia Cheese for United states
In Sardinia, for instance, 1t would bt
possible to export $4,000 tons OF cheese
TO the United States, for a value oi
$4,000 900. a useful portion to balance
the amount Italy is paying the States for
wheat Unfortunately Government re.
strictions at present prevent this export
In Sicily the lemon crop has not full
filled expectations this year, chiefly ow-
| Ing to strikes. which prevented the fruit
being collected at the right moment. The
consequence was that hundreds of tons
OF lemons which would have been used in
| the citrate industry were left on the
| trees until too late. The demand from
America has also been considerably
weaker, this being due, as the Italians
| say. to the States going dry, "the lemon
being largely used in the construction OF
cocktails" as the PerseUeren~u states.
The extra tax OF four cents a pound on
lemons entering the United States has
also affected exports from Sicily
An interesting social phenomenon In
connection with the land question in
Italy is the forcible appropriation of land
by the Fascist At meeting at the
Campidoglio last year the Fascist took
an oath that they would not stop their
labors until the land was divided
among the people. Already. during the
war, the Government had sanctioned the
occupation of fallow land by the Coop
ratives and others for the purpose of de-
veloping the resources of the country.
| This was further extended by the WIS.,
| socchi decree. which authorized the forci-
| bic appropriation over period OF -four
| years of lands for the benefit Of ex-sol-
| diers and others. The Fascist are now
| forming their own leagues OF farmer
| peasants. and by peaceful persuasion are
| settling them on the public lands. or on
lands taken from the large landed pro-
prietors. In many cases the large pro-
| prietors have themselves given up tracts
OF land 10 the ex-soldiers. Baron Ba-
racca. near Naples. giving 40, 900 hectars,
or half his estate
The avowed policy in Italy Of nearly
all parties to-day In 20 split up the land
! so that In a short time the proprletors
win be small holders. The success of
| this movement will not be immediate.
but with the spread OF technical educa-
ton in farming and kindred services
| the increase IN the agricultural univer-
| stiles (there are already twenty-two)
! the development of the bonifiche and
1 financial aid from the Government, II
may be that Italy will IN a few years
time be as highly cultivated as Den
mark. The Government has now In
hand the reclamation of bonifiche 20
! r n 80