Catoctin clarion., 1921-07-14

Fixed Wages Plus a Share in p
tPrepared by the United States Depart.
ment of Agriculture)
II took the same interest in my work
as IL tenant as take in my own farm.
| began work without dollar and
with very little knowledge of farming,
but while | was ON the farm | learned
IL good deal. | had ample opportunity
To study the principles controlling crop
growth, soil Improvement, stock man
ugemrnt, etc. The inspiration | re-
ceiyed was valuable indeed, and dur
ing my period of service | earned
enough money to buy the small farm
on which now live
This extract from statement made
by former farm tenant employee,
now Il farm owner, reviews Il relation
ship between owner and tenant that II
great many persons on both sides ol
the farm-landlord situation may well
envy. There is possibly no subject
connected with the business of farm
ing which leads to as many miSundrr-
standings. diSSatiSfactionS and mutual
losses as the management of Il farm by
Il nonowner. Somebody has said that
nothing short of application of the
golden rule would ever bring about sat.
iSfactory arrangements between the
owner and occupant of II farm, and
vet, in this case. there was nothing
eleemoSynary in the arrangement.
Tested by Fifteen Years Trial.
The man who made the statement
years the manager of One of two ordi-
nary sized hog farms owned hy man
in Illinois, and the plan under which
he was engaged as farm manac%r has
been followed by the owner with al
most unfniling success for more than
fifteen years. Briefly, the plan was
nothing more or less than straight
annual salary which included tenant
house ana the usual garden and poul-
try perquiSiteS, and, as bonus. Il
share of the net profits.
The nrotit sharing plan has served To
stimulate the efforts of the employee
and has greatly lesSened the Supervi-
sion necessary on the part of the
owner. BY the use of the telephone
and occasional visits he is able To keep
In touch with the farm problems and
to cooperate effectively with the man
agcr. Since the owner was farming
himself ii was important that the man
agrmcnt of his other two farms take
as little of his time as possible. Thus
far the managers have been selected
from the men employed on the home
farm. which serves as training
school.
How Net Income Is Determined.
The managers are given a regular
monthly wage and bonus consisting
of onc-third of the net farm income.
In determining the net income 5 per
cent interest on the valuation of the
property is first taken out as due re-
turn for capital, after which all eX-
prnScS are deducted, such as for
thraShinr, the managers wage, extra
labor machinery repairs, depreciation,
and the cost of fertilizers and seeds.
Each OF the two managed farms has
n house for the manager, who also can
use the work horses to drive for per-
sonal use, has a garden, and COW or
two for supplying the family with milk
and butter. Fifty chickens are fur
nished. and the family is permitted to
raise as many as possible to supply the
needs of the farm table, but on Decem-
bpr | all the chickens above the Origi-
nal number must be sold and the land
lord gets One-half the receipts. The
purpose of this limit on chickens is
to enable the manager to have his own
poultry supply without taking undue
advantage of his opportunity.
In order to calculate the amount of
money which the manager is to re-
ceive on this plan it Is necessary to do
a certain amount of bookkeeping. This
Is left to the owner, who keeps set
of farm accounts, and on March ] a
complete inventory is taken and a
yearly summary of the farm business
is completed. In cases of disease, poor
crops, or partial failure which Is un-
avoidable, thus cutting down the in
come of the manager, the owner makes
some allowance and gives the mana
s"r in addition to the wages he has
ived what he thinks is due him
lr work ne has done, and the re-
ibility he has assumed.
Ihe period before war imitation
thr managers made from SAL to $49
per month the year round, in addition
to having their rent, garden, milk, but
ter and eggs. The manager of the
smaller farm, comprising 90 acres, re-
ceived $35 a month straight wages for
four years up 10 1918, and his bonus
averaged $168 year. The manager
of the other farm, comprising 16C