The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-12-12
u. S. FARMERS
WORK is HOURS;
EARN so CENTS
Not Told by Communist
But by Govt. Official
BY FRANK HOWARD
worker Correspondent

Worker Correspondent
YORK, Pa, Dec. 10.--If farmers are
not prosperous in this part of the
country they. are not prosperous any
where for here we have soil which
is as fertile as any in the United
States, a fair climate and available
markets. The farmers here work Is
hours a day, from 400 a. m. until
500 D. m.
II farmer hears Of the eight-hour
day he assumes that the reference is
to eight-hours in the morning and
eight after noon. Even on Sunday
milk is drawn and hauled to market
and the stables cleaned of the weeks
accumulation. Everybody works on
the farm, the women and children out
in the fields with the men. The farm
ers look upon the authorities as enc
mics because children. are compelled
to attend school until 1e years Of age.
These children do considerable
work on the farms in the morning be-
fore going to school and after school
is dismissed. The school season is
but seven months. When the boys
reach the age Of Is they leave the
farm to work in the factories because
their parents cannot pay them TO do
farm work. A farmer with 90-acre
farm must do all of the work himself
to make a bare living. When thresh-
ing or other employment is procur-
able in the neighborhood the farmers
will leave their own work to hire out
for $500 day.
Farmers Earn zoe. . Day.
The United States department Of
agriculture sends DR.. Spillman, chief
of the bureau of farm management
thruout the country to advise farmers
which crops may be more profitable
the next season. Spillman bases his
guess on data showing which crops
are plentiful and which are scarce in
this country and in foreign countries
| DIR. Spillman says that for the first
time in the history of this country
cotton farmers earn as much as they
pay their hired help. But he predicts
that this prosperity" will soon vanish
as China and other countries have
taken to cultivating cotton because Of
the present high price. $3.50 a day
! for the American cotton grower is too
| good to last In one of its farm bull
letins the government states, that the
average hourly wage of the American
farmer is ten cents. At one of his
! public addresses DR.. 5pillman was
asked if this figure was correct.
Ten cents an hour applies only 10
so-called good times" he replied.
Ordinarily the farmer earns but two
or three cents an hour. The daily
wage Of the American farmer is about
60 cents, day"
This figure is based upon the in
come derived from the farm. after
taking into consideration the number
of hours of work performed by each
member of the family; the amount OF
money invested in the property, de-
probation etc.
How Gag is Applied.
One of the members of this audi
ence asked DR.. Spillman if govern
ment ownership OF the railroads
would not assist the farmer, by re-
ducing the cost of transportation.
Spillman replied that that was not
his subject; that he did not express
an opinion on any matter to which
he had not given special study. The
United States government has a rule
to the effect that any employee of the
government who advocates the pas
sage of any law, or who INDUCES in
political activity" must be dischar>
ged from his position. The rule is
very elastic and may be interpreted
in any way that the Washington re-
personalities OF the House of Morgan
desire. This explains why DR.. Spill
man and other spokesman do noe
reply TO such questions.
Farm slavery is one OF the worst
forms of capitalist mismanagement
Individual farming is unscientific.
Anticipated and out Of date in an in.
dustrial age. Agriculture patiently
awaits the revolution. The proletar.
ians of the cities. who have time in
which TO learn the lessons OF capital.
list exploitation, must prepare to lead
the farmers In revolt.