SIMILAR CONDITIONS IN UNITED STATES 97 



This report indicates the several aspects of the farm labor 

 question. There was published at London in 1913 for official use 

 by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries a Report on Migration 

 from Rural Districts in England and Wales. This report, like the 

 consular report above quoted, indicates the situation confronting 

 England. This London report says that there certainly appears 

 to be a fairly general deficiency of skilled farm hands. The manual 

 arts of agriculture are being neglected even by those who still seek 

 employment on the land. To quote the words of the report, we 

 have the following: 



" The low wages in the rural districts are mentioned as a cause of discon- 

 tent, but it may be doubted whether this in itself is so powerful a factor as 

 the lack of opportunity, and, in fact, there appears no evidence that emigration 

 is greatest in districts where wages are lowest. More than once in these 

 reports it is observed that many who emigrate would prefer to stay at home 

 if they could see a reasonable prospect of advancement in life. Better educa- 

 tion, and, as is remarked by some, a kind of education which gives a distaste 

 for country life, is referred to; while the desire for shorter hours of work, for 

 free Sundays and for more holidays is also mentioned; but these are causes 

 for leaving the country which are more likely to lead to migration to the town 

 than emigration to the colonies. The lack of housing accommodation is 

 frequently mentioned as influencing men to leave the villages. It appears 

 paradoxical that complaint should be made at the same time of dwindling 

 population and insufficient cottages, but there can be no doubt that the ques- 

 tion of rural housing is acute." 2 



Similar Conditions in the United States. These reports bring 

 before our mind conditions in England. Similar conditions exist 

 in the United States. The chief difference is that with us the 

 difficulties are more sharply accentuated. A great many reports 

 and a great many books have been printed dealing with agricul- 

 tural labor in the United States. It seems to me, however, that 

 the two following letters, written with no thought of publication, 

 throw considerable light on the question. The first letter is from 

 a young man who had been working on a North Dakota farm in 

 the summer time. The second letter is from a social worker in 

 Chicago and goes into the problem of taking the unemployed man 

 from the city and placing him on the farm. The letters are printed 

 exactly as they were written. 



" Doubtless it will surprise you to hear from me in this town, but I came 

 up here last night. I couldn't stand the pressure of the farm any longer. 

 The man I worked for was a fine fellow, but like all North Dakota farmers he 

 had no respect for the Sabbath. We worked the last three Sundays and had 

 good prospects for working four more, and I did not like that, so I left. 



"Yesterday was the first time I had a bath in over three weeks. Last 

 Sunday morning after breakfast I shaved myself before I went to work. I 



2 Board of Agriculture and Fisheries. Report on Migration from Rural 

 Districts in England and Wales, 1913, p. 3. 



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