Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-11
Farmer Described
As Forgotten Man
By Senator 1ydings
Tells of inequalities,
Lack of u. S. Benefits
In Radio Forum TuIk

/ ne FARMER Is Ifle country real
forgotten man." left out of high
wages, overtime pay, social security
and other benefits industrial and
white collar workers enjoy, Senator
Tydings. Democrat, of Maryland de
clared last night in an address over
the National Radio Forum, arranged
by The Star and broadcast over
WMAL and the Blue Network
The farm workers Of America"
he said are now making an aver
age Of less than 50 day. That is
their income. That is the amount
they have to feed, clothe and shelter
themselves and their families.
Now let US look at the other side
OF the picture. In many places huge
industrial plants are built near
farming territory, where workers are
employed for only eight hours a day
These industrial workers make the
highest wages ever paid in history
They get time and one-haf for
overtime over 40 hours a week IN
til recently many of them got double
time for work on Sunday. Where
there is in effect a SeVen-day work
week. the workers receive by con-
tract double tlme for the seventh
consecutive day worked in that
scheduled week. These industrial
workers are insured under the Ma
tional Security Act. They get IN
employment pay when out of work
and retirement pay when they reach
mature age.
Lack Social Benefits.
The farmers and farm workers
pay taxes to the National Govern
ment to provide in part all of these
benefits for industrial workers. Yet
the farmers and the farm workers
get none of these benefits them
selves. On the farms today the
average farm worker is working
more than eight hours day. Often
he works seven days week, and he
gets for all this the average monthly
salary Of S56.07, or less than 81 d
day"
Senator TydingS asserted:
1T is as plain to me as the nose on
ones face that we are not going TO
produce the food. clothing and shell
ter which this Nation requires at the
hands of men who get less than 50 |
DAY. with no limit on their hours
or days of work, when they can go
to an industrial plant work eight
hours a day, get time and one-half
for overtime, and have all the social
benefits thrown in.
Senator TydingS said the farmer
has been treated like an untouch- |
able"
For these last two decades" he |
said, he has been almost completely |
forgotten. No national laws safe |
guard his hours of work. No national |
laws give him time and half and |
double time for overtime No ma
tional laws provide for his security
when unemployed or average. He /
is always on his very own, while all |
other groups of workers in the Ma |
ton are looked after by this Gov
eminent
He said that if farm wages are in
creased then food, clothing and |
shelter costs also will be increased. !
and asked:
But is not what is fair for the
industrial worker fair for the farm
worker as Well?"
Requires Long Hours.
Everything that the farmer and !
the farm worker has to buy has |
already increased in cost because |
industrial workers are paid higher !
wages and given social benefits at |
the farmers expense" he said. |
Therefore, if it be fair to give the |
industrial worker these benefits at /
the farmers expense, is it not fair |
to give the farmer and the farm /
worker comparable benefits at the |
expense OF the industrial worker?"
Senator Tydlngs said his amend |
ment ON November 10, 1912. to the
Teen-age Draft Act meant that |
more than a million regularly en-
ployed and Irreplaceable farmers
and farm workers will be kept on the .
farms this year who otherwise would !
have been taken for military serv-
ice" Yet, he said, 1T is abundantly /
plain that If the quantity of food .
desired is TO be forthcoming, it is
going TO require more favorable /
weather, a lot of good luck, and |
many, many very long hours each |
day OF very hard work for the men
and the women on the farms of this /
Nation"