Grainger County news. (Rutledge, Tenn.) 1917-current, 1921-10-12

you have exactly what he earns in an
hour of labor in that crop.
1t is very doubtful is the farmer
has earned over Is cents an hour for
the past two years, or if he is earn
ing more than that now. If you al !
low as much as 9 per cent on the cost |
of his farm and equipment, few of !
them have anything at all to show for I
their own work on the farm. Their |
own labor is frequently nothing more !
than a contribution to pay costs and !
interest on the investment.
There is hardly farmer in this
state, whose labor on the farm has
averaged him a dollar an hour dur
ing the past two years. If there is
even one WHO has earned at that rate, !
it will probably be found to be be-
cause of some special chance or cir
cumstance entirely separate and dis
tinnt from the usual iourse of farm
ing. Yet the farmer is skilled lab /
orer. 1t is easier to learn the use of
a saw and plane than it is the use
of the pillow and the team.
IL 10 Sdiu Indb 'thC ESto hS2
living off his farm. This is not true.
He only gets part of his living from
the produce on his farm, and he must
furnishes his water free, and that is
furnishes his waer free, anr that is
about the only free contribution it
makes to his life. He does not live
in free house, eat free food or wear
free raiment. All these things he
must work for, just the same as if he
lived in city. t
+ Every farmer who works his farm
/ is wage Garner, whether his wages
be large or small, He receives his
wages when he markets his produce.
If he finds good market he will re-
ceive fair wages. If he strikes
poor market, his wages are pitifully
small. He is the greatest gambler
among men. He must gamble on
what crop to pant, then with the
/ seasons and the elements while pro-
ducing it, and then comes tn greatest
gamble of all, which 3, what will the
market be when that crop is ready
for sale. On these chancs and his
own industry and intelligence de-
pends the price he will receive for an
hours labor on the farm.
The farmers wages are too low
and too uncertain for his good. They
are too much below the wages of 9TH
er men who work for a livelihood,
/ with no more skill or intelligence
/ than the farmer. Things are sadly
out of joint when skilled labor in one
calling will not bring one-sixth of
what it will bring in another calling.
! No outside agency can hep the
farmer in his battle with floods,
winds, frost. hail and drouth. Here
he must protect himself as best he
can. But he should have more
stable market for his produce.
Two things will help this market.
\ One of these is a wider markell
world market. He should break
down every barrier that is set up to
restrict his right to- trade with any
nation of the world. He should OPP
pose every lawmaker who attempts TO
his trade.
And the other thing he can do is
to learn. and make provision to hold
his produce off of failing market.
If the packing houSese are glutted
with. hogs, he should deliver to his
own smoke house. He should coop
crate with his brother farmer in the
marketing of his produce, so that by
concerted action giutted and demon
alized markets may be avoided and
hisS produce supplied to the consum-
er in a more regular and orderly
manner, instead of all of it being
dumped into the laps of spectators
at one time.-Nashville Teanessean