The daily Alaskan., 1921-09-27
IF FARMER HAD
 TOPAY HIS WIFE
He Would Go Broke, Declares Nebraska University Expert,
 Summarizing Survey.
WOULD COST S4,OOO \ YEAR
Farm Wife Is Cook, WashsrWoman, Seamstress, CharwOmsn and, on oe- casion, a Nurse-AIso She ls
 Assistant Farm Director.


 Omaha.-Ir 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 S4,OO0 year. And inusmuch as most of the farmers are not making that over and aHovp 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. a 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 occu- parionS into consideration, in estimat- ing the value of their wives service.
 If Outside Help Were Hired.
 "If farm woman's time was con s.drreI and she was paid on the basis of the hired help she saves her hus- band from employing, she would re rrlye a salary of SAO00 year, says Miss Margaret Fedde. chairman of the arnarrmrur 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 SIU a week" says Miss Fedde.
 Next the farm wife does the wash ing and ironing. Very few farmers have washing machines IL takes the farm wife ulI day long to do the wash ing. Another full day is required to do the ironing.
 The regular wages Of a laundress fn the country are S2.50 per day says Miss Feddp. For the washing and ironing. therefore, she should be cred fted with S5 per week
 A recent health survey of farms and farmers shows there is an average ot 19 days of sickness each year on each farm. And when there is sickness the wife turns to nursing. So, for le days egrn wear the farm wife is nurse.
 ..The wages of a trained nurse on re farm are S25 per week, says Mss Frddr. lon this score the farm wife gets in nearly ST5 per year tn wages as nurse
 When Mrs. Farmer does the family spwfnr-and she does all the sewing rbar is done on the farm-she should be credited with the wages Of a seam stress. Credit Mrs. Farmer S6 per week as sewing lady.
 More of Her Duties
 The wages of a woman to do clean ing scrulhlnc. etc. are S250 per day. rpr two days each week the farmers wife does this kind of work. Her pay check. according to the home econom- r.s dergrtmenrs survey should be increased by S5 per week for that
 Taking care of the butter and the rraaY and the eggs requires some hours every day. And during the berry ,.a.an and the fruit season the wife works long hours over the preserving kettle. This kind of work is worth Ss Der day and the credit should go ra Mrs. Farmer. And In the fall, dur ing. "hog killing time" the farmers wife acts as expert meat packer and should he credited with S per day for that labor.
 As a farm assistant" the farmers wife is called upon every hour of the lav to give advice. The rate of pay ,r farm assistants in Nebraska Is S2o ,ar week. So the farmers wife should Ge credited with SEQ per week on that score.
 Then there are the thousands and one things which do not come under any Inf these heads. but which would command big pay If the farmer had to on ont and employ some one to do -bem. All these should be credited to tbe wife Of the farmer.
 "TotgI all these charges and It will he found that the Nebraska farm wife earns at least S4OOO every year, with her hoard and room thrown in,' says fbe b1-IIpfin