The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-29
HELP At A PREMIUM
URGENT DEMAND FOR HARVEST
HANDS ALL OVER THE
NORTHWEST
THE SITUATION IS SERIOUS

No Such Lack of Help Has Been
Experienced During the Past
Ten Years-SOuthern Central Min
nesOta Reports Indicate Fair
Crop Average, With Wheat n
Good Stand and Corn Falling on.
The farmers of North Dakota and the
the scarcity of harvest hands Both the
Northern Pacific and Great Northern gen
eral offices are receiving urgent demands
for help and reports which have come in
during the past two days show that
throughout the entire state, North Da-
k1ta vii be seriously handicapped unless
additional men can be secured. Indica-
lions, yesterday, from information gained
at the brokers and employment agents
offices, showed that there are no men OBJ
tainable in the city
The Northern Pacific officers stated yes
terday that along their line, though 1t Is
yet three weeks before harvest begins,
the demands for help are numerous and
urgent. Despite the fact that the harvest
rates this year are lower than ever be-
able to even begin to supply the demand.
Wages are going up and unles the situa-
ton shows an Improvement during the
next ten days, field hands will be earn
ing higher wages than for many years
and many farmers will suffer severe loss
through not being able to harvest their
crcDS.
FEW MEN COME WEST.
The reports indicate that 25,OOO men can
find employment in the harvest FIELDS OF
Montana, North and South Dakota and
Western Minnesota. At this time last
year the movement West was marked and
both the coast lines were sending out
special trains for the accommodation of
harvest hands. This year conditions are
different and from information obtained
yesterday it was apparent that not more
than 1000 men have gone West during
the past two weeks, a decrease of between
Z and 10 per cent.
Railroad officers regard the situation as
serious and state that their inquiries have
resulted in the conclusion that there are
fewer men to be had for harvest work
than for ten years past. The reason
given for the falling off of the supply is
that general trade conditions are better
ana that the majority of men who for
merly went west in the fall have found
Will BE AN AVERAGE CROP.
Reports from central southern Mime
sofa indicate that crops this fall will be
about the average, with good yield and
quality. Harvesting will begin early in
August and by the tenth of the month 1T
is thought that grain cutting will be well
under way. Wheat shows well, with
heavy stand and rank growth in some
sections Corn shows a falling off In
acreage in some sections, but is in fine
condition Many farmers are cutting
their corn for ensilage. Rye and barley
are being harvested. The demand Tor
harvest hands is brisk, though there has
been some difficulty in securing men.
Reports received by the 500 from agents
along its line contain no mention of rust
or smut. At some points crops have been
damaged from 8 to 10 per cent by not
winds and dry weather, but conditions
generally continue favorable. The Hes
sian fly has made its appearance at Hoff-
man and has been doing some damage.
Harvesting is not yet general though it
is under way as far west as Annandale.
HANDS ARE IN DEMAND.
Never in the history of the road has
there been such a demand for harvest
hands and never such a scarcity of Ia
Dor General Passenger Agent Galloway,
in an effort to assist the farmers along
the 500, recently wired all agents asking
that they inform him of the number OF
men required by wheat growers in their
respective neighborhoods. The demands
which the query produced almost f1oored
him Valley City set up Its voice for 500,
Courtenay and Darlington for 300 each
and others in proportion. The total ran
to over 1000. Wages offered were $3.50
and board when it became known that
men could not be had for less.
At first there was some objection to
paying Is amount. A number of sta
tions acquiesced Immediately, however,
nAd i; common labor
was being paid 81 per day in the copper
region and that their pay was So in
southern Minnesota.