Cleveland County herald., 1921-04-21
IF FARMER HAD
 TO PAY HIS WIFE
He Would Go Broke, Declares Nebraska University Expert,
 Summarizing Survey.
WOULD COST S4,OOO 4 YEAR
Farm Wife Is Cook, Waeherwoman, seamstress, charwonan and, on oc- casion, a Nurse-Also She Is
 Assistant Farm Director.

Omaha.-If Nebraska farmers had to pay their wives living" wages for their work most of them would have to go out of business, according to figures made public by the home eco monies department of the Nebraska State university. According to these figures every farm wife earns $4,00o a year. And inasmuch as most of the farmers are not making that over and above expenses, the farmers would "go broke" if they had to pay their wives what they would have to pay others for the same service.
 The farm wife is a cook, a washer woman, seamstress, a charwoman, a nurse, an assistant farm director and a whole lot of other things. And she Is an expert in each of these. The home economics department. in mak- ing up its survey, took all these occt- pations into consideration, in estimat-
 If Outside Help Were Hired.
 If farm Woman's time was con sidered and she was paid on the basis of the hired help she saves her hus- band from employing, she would re- ceive salary of $4,000 year." says Miss Margaret Fedde, chairman of the department which made the survey.
 First, all the cooking falls upon the housewife She prepares three meals a day. She has no afternoon "out."
 Service of that kind is worth at least S10 a week." says Miss Fedde
 Next, the farm wife does the wash ing and ironing. Very few farmers have washing machines. It takes the farm wife all day long to do the wash ing. Another full day is required to do the ironing.
 "The regular wages of a laundress In the country are $2.50 per day" says Miss Fedde. For the washing and ironing, therefore, she should be cred ited with $5 per week"
 A recent health survey of farms and farmers shows there is an average of 19 days of sickness each year on each farm. And when there is sickness the wife turns to nursing. So, for 19 days each year the farm wife is a nurse.
 "The wages of a trained nurse on the farm are $25 per week, says Miss Fedde. "On this score the farm wife gets in nearly ST5 per year in wages as a nurse"
 When Mrs. Farmer does the family sewing-and she does all the sewing that is done on the farm-she should be credited with the wages of a seam stress. Credit Mrs. Farmer S6 per week as a sewing lady.
 More of Her Duties.
 The wages of woman to do clean ing, scrubbing, etc, are $2.50 per day. For two days each week the farmers wife does this kind of work Her pay check, according to the home econom- ics departments survey should be increased by $5 per week for that
 Taking care of the butter and the cream and the eggs requires some hours every day. And during the berry season and the fruit season the wife works long hours over the preserving kettle. This kind of work is worth $3 per day and the credit should go to Mrs Farmer. And in the fall, dur ing, "hog killing time," the farmers wife acts as expert meat packer and should be credited with $5 per day for that labor.
 As farm assistant the farmers wife is called upon every hour of the day to give advice The rate of pay of farm assistants in Nebraska is S2O per week. So the farmers wife should be credited with $20 per week on that score.
 Then there are the thousands and one things which do not come under any of these heads. but which would command big pay if the farmer had to go out and employ some one to do them. All these should be credited eo the wife of the farmer.
 "Tetal all these charges and 1t will be found that the Nebraska farm wife earns at least $4,000 every year, with her board and room thrown in," says the bulletin.