96 COMMISSION ON COUNTRY LIFE 



the native American labor is less efficient and 

 less reliable than much of the foreign labor. 

 This is due to the fact that the American is less 

 pressed by the dire necessity to labor and to 

 save, and because the better class of laborers is 

 constantly passing on to land-ownership on its 

 own account. Because of their great industry 

 and thrift, certain foreigners are gradually taking 

 possession of the land in some regions, and it 

 seems to be only a question of time until they will 

 drive out the native stock in those regions. 



The most difficult rural labor problem is that 

 of securing household help on the average farm. 

 The larger the farm, the more serious the problem 

 becomes. The necessity of giving a suitable 

 education to her children deprives the farm 

 woman largely of home help; while the lure of 

 the city with its social diversions, more regular 

 hours of labor and its supposed higher respecta- 

 bility, deprives her of help bred and born in the 

 country. Under these circumstances, she is 

 compelled to provide the food that requires the 

 least labor. This simple fact explains much of 

 the lack of variety, in the midst of the greatest 

 possible abundance, so often complained of on 



