Excerpts: Despite the well established hazardous character of farming, workmen's accident compensation laws, expressly or impliedly, generally do not cover employees engaged in this occupation. This is the greatest single gap in effective workmen's compensation coverage. The limitations upon farm coverage in the different States vary considerably. In part, such limitations arise out of the diverse economic and social situations in the jurisdiction, but to a considerable extent they are traceable to experimentation and to compromises between groups interested in compensation legislation. In general it has been observed that "the real reasons for the exemption of farm laborers are political, nothing else." Little or no union organization among agricultural workers, and the absence of other effective means of bringing their wishes to the attention of legislators have been prominent factors bearing on this situation. Moreover, farm employers have been legally exempted from the operation of workmen's compensation laws of most States because of their opposition to be included and because of the general belief that their inclusion would defeat the compensation acts.
