THE BONANZA FARMS. 67 



150 men employed ; and for the six weeks of harvest, 

 from August 1st to September 15th, there were 250 

 men, at wages that would barely support the workers 

 during the time they worked ; whilst, for the five 

 months from November 1st to March 31st there would 

 be only 10 men, as estimated for the coming winter ; 

 but in fact only 5 men were employed during that 

 period of the past season, with neither woman nor 

 child at any time. 



Whilst the small farmer is compelled to feed, clothe, 

 shelter, and altogether provide for the same number 

 of persons for the whole year, the capitalist feeds, 

 clothes, and shelters only about one tenth of the 

 number, in proportion to the amount of work done or 

 product produced, and that for less than one half of 

 the year. In doing this the capitalist brings to his 

 assistance the most improved and highly developed 

 machinery, such as the small farmer can utilize to but 

 a comparatively small degree, except through the 

 means of cooperation. 



Against the unlimited use of this combination of 

 capital, machinery, and cheap labor the individual 

 farmer, either singly or in communities, can not suc- 

 cessfully contend and must go under. It is a combi- 

 nation of the most powerful social and economic forces 

 known to man, and all efforts for successful competi- 

 tion must and will fail so long as the three remain 

 united. 



Cheap labor alone always has been, and still is, the 

 curse of every country or people where it has or does 

 still exist. This fact is too well known to require 

 more than its statement. It is the one thing that 



