Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1922-06-23
AGRICULTURAL LABOR UN1oN1zED

English agriculture" according to Farm, Stock
Home lis going thru labor experience that may
this country The farm labor is rapid
y unionizing laying down terms of and hours
that in will impossible for farmers to meet
stay business The farm labor situation is entire
ly different British Isles from anything have
here The agricultural laborer is not transent-he
is usually married man with family. He Is OFTEN
working on the same his great great grand
worked In addition to his money wages which
run around eight dollars week, he is provided
cottage, frequently rent Free at nominal rent
of seyentyfve cents dollar week, has plot OF
ground on which he of his food is fire.
quenty furnished with if not is provided with
milk that his family requires, that he is really
a very we'll paid worker. In addition to his own money
wages, all children fourteen employed need
arises More employed the English farm
than in this country. Five to is not uncommon
THE rapid growth of the English labor party during
the the agricultural laborers and unionized
thousand, that the hours of la
fifty hours six day week. from first Monday in
March last Monday in October and forty-eigh hours
for the remainder of the with time and half for
overtime All Sunday work is counted overtime. The
only exceptions housekeeper Shepherds
whose weeks contain 6fty-nine hours in summer and
fftyseven in winter, with the rules for overtime
Furthermore the farmer cannot make for days
when weather conditions make field work impossible
Simple fairness would indicate that if overtime is
exacted deductions should be allowed for lost time but
the Agricultural Wages Board not if the worker
is the job ready to to work.
I'm practice this that when weather delays
that piles up making overtime necessary, the
stand all the loss This is not all! The
unions insist having voice in the farm management.
Whether it expects to go to the extent of debating
what shall be in certain fields, irrespective
of rotation, do not know.
'It that a serious persistence in this
will eventually finish by there being no more
work. We do not believe rigid eight nine
day, with time a half for overtime is
cay possible in farm work owing to it's seasonal char
acter and the high that must be maintained
during the growing either in England 9TH
country.
THE foregoing contains food for very serious
thought for those who believe their interests
and those of the city worker Identical That they
have things in common, admit. Both farmers
and workers have be prosperous neither group
be, that whatever is Instantaneous the
other is in the long against the interest of both.
The uniOnzed farm labor of England will or
later, probably realize their de-
struction of the hand that feeds them change
their attitude Owing to the widely differing
Dor conditions here and in England the unionzng
American farm labor is unlikely but farmers must
always remember when listening to the talk of the labor
leader about their interest with the workers.
that they employers and the only interest
they have with an employee is that both should work
together for the greatest success"