The Carbon County chronicle. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1924, 1924-07-23
FARM lADORERS
NEED ATTENTION
Government Experts Sug-
gest Trade Tests and
Wages Varying Skill.

Farm labor conditions could he I'm
proved by the use ~ trad- tests ta
determine the fitness OF appir~inis for
particular Jobs. by wage-rates allow
| lng for differences In skill and EN-
cheney. By provision Of steadier work
through greater diversIfcatlon of crop.
and live stock possibilities. and by
higher standards Of housing for farm
workers, say economists OF the De
partmenf of Agriculture who recently
studied truck farm labor In New Jer>
sey. Adoption 5f these and other
methods Of attracting and holding
better class of help would show cash
returns, and at the same time would
promote a more cordial relationship
between farmers and their employees,
! 1t is said.
AS class farm employees cannot
be classed as skilled Iaborers Among
683 interviewed by government repre-
sentatives in New Jersey. four-fifths
had never done any skilled. RESPONSE
bic work. Two-ffths had never done
anything but firm work. Average
earnings Of all workers In the group.
from all sources, were slightly less
than 5000 In 1921. eked out In some
cases by perqulsites. such as farm sup
piles and house-room. On such lin
| Tied earnings. say the investigators,
the workers have TO practice strict
economy. and have little TO spend on
recreation or advancement A closer
approach to more reasonable Amer
lean standards of life for these work
| ers could be achieved, II is declared.
without necessarily making farm opsf-
atIons less profitable.
One difficulty that keeps many capa-
bile men out of farm work is the sea-
sonaI character OF the employment.
This could be overcome to great ex-
tent by greater diversity In farm pro-
duction, Il is pointed out. Farmers
In position to offer year-round work
were found In New Jersey to be get
ting better class of labor al
slightly lower rate than that paid by
farmers who employed help only part
-
tained. would find 1t paid them TO
furnish better living accommodation
for non-cnsual help. and TO give
bonuses or other rewards for exccp-
tionai efficiency. Farmers are urged
to remember also that the cheapest
help Is seldom the best help. Turn
ing good msn down because they ask
4 somewhat higher wnge than less
capable men Is poor policy. because
the saving In wages 10 generally of
set hy losses due 10 inefficiency.
Much demand was found among the
New Jersey farmers for lessening
Of restrictions ON immigration. This
demand. shy the investigators. Is pri-
mnrily a demand for more and cheap
or labor. II Is an unconscious call
for laborers with lower standards of
living and intelligence. A better way
to deal with the labor situation, II Is
suggested. would he to recognize the
fact that intelligence is becoming
more and more necessary In farm
work due to the increasing use of
machinery and the need of care In
producing and handling perishable
products. and to do everything posi-
BILE to raise the level of farm help re
quirements.
In placing n0n-casunl farm help
there Is declared to be much need for
better placing of lahorers Trade tests
are practicable means of accomplish
Ing this result, II is said. Such tests
are being developed by officials of the
United States employment service In
New Jersey. They consist Of ques-
tons and answers relating TO farm
tasks, and can be used even by per
sons with no experience in given
occupation to form judgments of the
fitness Of applicants for such work.
General use of trade tests In employ
ment Offices would tend to promote
satisfaction among both employers
and employees, II Is believed.
The investigators found that nesrly
three-ffths of the workers under six
teen, who should have been attending
at least continuation schools, were
not making normal progress In school
work. Out Of $40 children of farm.
,Iaborcrs only SO were making normal
pf0Eress. The percentage of back
wardness increased with the age of the
children. Thrty-seven per cent were
from two to six years behind their
normal grades. Few of the adult
workers had been to high school, and
practically none TO college. The for
eign born had received less education
than the native born. es.Aa II