Maggie's Farm

When I was 13 (1956) I began working at the local car wash. A SS number was required so my buddy and I went to the SS office and got consecutive numbers. I don't remember what minimum wage was, around a dollar maybe. But a typical day was 2-4 hours. There were other kids and men there and the boss would have you clock out as soon as the cars stopped coming in. When the rush ended and the chances of more work ended with it I went to the cashier with a time card and she calculated my pay and handed it to me to the penny. I can still remeber my suprise and outrage that SS kept 3 cents of every dollar. My typical earnings on a Saturday or Sunday was $1.50-$2.50. In my entire life I have collected exactly on week of unemployment and I spent years working two and sometimes three jobs. I can't understand those who don't work, I loved it. Well I loved getting paid for it. I would shovel snow in winter, lawns and yard cleanup in the summer and collect newspaper and rags year round. Five cents per hundred pounds of newspaper. Seemed like a lot back then. I think the government went way past what was necessary to prevent "child labor". Children should have the opportunity to work.