FIGURE 232.—Comparative percentages of total remuneration values received in perquisites by casual and noncasual farm hands
WAGES of Farm Hands Augmented by Many Important Perquisites
Wages of hired farm laborers properly include not only the cash payments commonly quoted but also the value of payments in kind and the value of privileges. These latter, except board, are commonly ignored in discussing wages, although they are of considerable aggregate value. Their inclusion with wage values makes real farm wages higher than they are commonly believed to be.
The Department of Agriculture has made two nation-wide studies of the perquisites of hired farm laborers, one of casuals, another of non- casuals. Noncasual laborers are permanent employees compared with casuals, being hired for the crop season or longer. Casuals are employed usually for short-time rush work, especially at harvest.
In the two studies the real wages of noncasual farm hands are made up of 60 per cent cash and 40 per cent perquisites. Similarly, casual laborers get 77 per cent of their remuneration in cash and 23 per cent in perquisites. The cash wages for their rush-time work average decidedly higher per day, and their perquisite values average slightly lower than for noncasuals. This sharply reduces the proportions of their total remuneration received as perquisites.
Board is the principal perquisite, both in frequency of occurrence and in value. Shelter, including room or house rent, fuel, and light, stands next. Other perquisites are of less frequency and smaller aggregate value.
Ninety-eight per cent of noncasual laborers were reported receiving perquisites, compared with 85 per cent of casual laborers. The latter are on their employers’ farms for only a short time, and, aside from necessary board and lodging, have opportunity or desire for few perquisites. The former spend the season or longer on the same farms; they receive perquisites in wider variety.
Board was reported furnished to 74 per cent of casual laborers but to only 51 per cent of noncasual laborers; lodging (room or house rent) to 62 per cent and 46 per cent, respectively; and washing was done for 23 per cent and 18 per cent, respectively. For the other perquisites considered, the classifications in the two studies differed somewhat.
The principal other perquisites and the percentages of casual farm hands receiving them follow: Fuel, 18 per cent; light, 14 per cent; foodstuffs other than table board, 9 per cent (the laborers receiving the preceding were usually not lodged or boarded in the farm homes); transportation between lodging and work, 13 per cent; use of farm horses, mules, or vehicles (except for transportation), 12 per cent.
The principal perquisites, or groups of related perquisites, and the percentages of noncasuals recelving them were: Dairy and poultry products, 17 per cent; meats, 10 per cent; vegetables or fruits, 16 per cent; keeping of livestock, 35 per cent; livestock feed, 17 per cent; livestock pasturage, 18 per cent; garden, 30 per cent; garage, 37 per cent; use of farm horses, mules, tools, or vehicles, 35 per cent.
There are striking differences in the proportions of single and married noncasual farm hands receiving certain perquisites, as follows: Board (and room and washing), single, 90 per cent, married, 10 per cent; house rent, fuel and light, single, 0, married, 67 per cent; dairy and poultry products, single, 0, married, 60 per cent; vegetables or fruits, single, 0, married, 56 per cent; keeping livestock, single, 3 per cent, married, 65 per cent; use of employers’ horses or mules, single, 24 per cent, married, 65 per cent; use of farm tools or vehicles, single, 29 per cent, married, 69 per cent; garden space, single, 0, married, 63 per cent.
The comparative percentages of total remuneration values which casual and noncasual farm hands received as perquisites are shown in Figure 232.