The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-20
LABORERS ARE FEW
NORTHWEST FARMERS FEAR 4
SHORTAGE OF HARVEST
HANDS
WILL REQUIRE $4,000 MEN
Traffic Men Say Hands VIII BE on
the Ground When Wanted,
but Farmers Are
Dubious.

With something like $4,000 men neces-
sary for the harvesting Of the wheat crop
in the Northwest, and only fraction Of
that number available at the present
time, farmers generally are suffering with
spell of their annual malady, fright
Railroad men, however, are more SAN
guine and say that when the time comes
comes, they will have all the men on rhe
ground necessary for the doing Of the
work. They say the scarcity at this time
IS Of annual occurrence, but when the
fact becomes noised abroad that men are
wanted they are generally forthcoming,
and at times in such numbers as to cause
an over supply.
Estimates place the number Of men re-
CURED in Minnesota, North and South
Dakota at from $4,000 to $4,000. This esti-
mate places the requirements of North
Dakota and Minnesota at $4,000 each and
the number for South Dakota at 1900 or
10000. The men to meet this demand viii
come principally from the lower peninsula
of Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa,
Kansas and Nebraska.
Manitoba is at work importing laborers
from eastern Canada. Premier Robin es-
Inmates that 10000 outside men will be
needed to harvest the wheat crop Of the
province. The estimate of Vice President
and General Manager McNicol Of the
Canadian Pacific is about the same
OF railroad men consulted f. A..MiIler.
of Chicago, general passenger ageA for
the Milwaukee system, says that in his
opinion the movement of farm laborer3
into the Northwest will at least be as
large as that Of any other year. Rates
will probably be made to bring men north
If necessary. Some of the roads have an
nounced that their rates will go into ef-
feet Aug. 20. That is probably a little
late Aug. 10 viii probably see a large
number of men arriving here
w. r. Galloway, general passenger
agent of the 500 says that the alarm
over the possible scarcity of farm labor
ers in seasons past has not been borne
out in the final results. He does not look
for heavy demand for men much before
Aug. 10. He does not regard the situa-
ton as at all alarming
Another traffic man says that the alarm
occasiOned in some sections over the re-
port that there are no laborers to be Sc
cured in Chicago is groundless. Chicago
has never furnished even very small
percentage of the Northwest harvest de-
mand.
In North Dakota haying operations
have been greatly retarded by a lack Of
hands, and this fact has caused consider
able alarm for the future. Manitoba
farmers began their work OF securing
men early and as result have men al
ready on the ground with a promise Of
more.
Despite the promise of the railroad men
that the proper time win see plenty. If
not a surfeit of men. there is a growing
uneasiness that the supply will be small,
and in consequence the wages demanded
VIII be high Many farmers arc now pay
ing g a day and board and not a few eX-
pect to be compelled to pay as high IS
So before their wheat is in
In North Dakota it has been suggested
that the Indians residing on the reserva-
tons be employed, but many oppose this,
knowing that poor 10 Is not as good or
fast a workman as his white brother.
The reds are willing 10 work ana it is
possible that the commissioner viii be
asked to permit them to enter the har-
vest fields.