The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-26
HANDS ARE NEEDED
Blaine of Pratt Urging a
Splendid Idea :
FOR HARVEST SECURITY
He Thinks 10000 Men VIII
He Thinks 10000 Men VIII
be Wanted in Wheat Belt.

conditions. Kansas, especially the wheat
| belt, will have 1 heavier harvest than ever
| before and he is very much worked up
over the possibility Of a scarcity Of hands
to take care of it unless extra efforts are
put forth Mr.. Blaine has a splendid idea
in this that he has asked the assessors in
the wheat belt, as they go about among
the farmers. 20 ascertain the number of
men and teams outside of the available
local help, required to take care of the
crop and he is very anxious that the as
SCISSORS shall return complete informa-
| ton so that it can be presented to rail-
road companies with a view to securing
rates for outside help. Some or the more
patriotic assessors are alreay reporting
and Mr.. Blaine is much encouraged in the
belief that all of them are doing their
duty in the matter.
1t is Mr.. Blaine's opinion that 900 ex-
ira men and 5000 extra teams will be re-
quired for the wheat belt harvest.
His idea is fore mully outlined in an ad-
ddess before the assessors Of Pratt coun-
ty. made recently. In this he says:
1.-THE question of the demand and sup
ply Of harvest hands and teams IS annu-
ally, very important matter with the
| grain growers in this county and so
| long as large blocks of grain are raised,
yearly, by the individual farmer, this
question will be an important factor in
the harvesting of the crop. for the reason
that with modern implements one indi-
vidual with a good four-horse team will
| SOW enough wheat, during the seeding
season to require the help Of five or six
extra men, and two to three extra teams
to harvest l.. if the grain is harvested
before it is ,over-ripe and In the event
that extra men and teams cannot be Sc
cured TO harvest the grain while in prop
er condition, the grain grower would nee
essarily suffer serious loss.
| when we take into consideration that
this same condition of affairs exists in
/ about thirty counties, constituting the
| great hard wheat belt Of Kansas, and
! that when an average crop is raised,
man ythousands of extra men and teams
must be secured from other sections Of
the country to assist in saving the grain,
/ that It can only be done through a thor
oughly organized movement covering the
entire district. For the past two years
a reasonably successful effort has been
made to gather and distribute the needed
| but it failed in many particulars as the
number of men and teams required was
unknown, and the means adopted for
making an estimate were very unreliable
| and the great difference of opinions ex-
pressed, caused considerable doubt in the
minds of the public as to whether we
needed 5000 men or 10000 or a LOO or 500
extra teams
THE difference of opinion has prevent
ed many men and teams from coming
| into the wheat belt, yet a sufficient
! amount of help was obtained last year, TO
/ save the crop with little loss. however
/ this would not have been the case If the
weather through harvest had not been
very favorable. Again, the uncertainty
of the amount of help needed prevented
those who had charge of the movement,
/ from getting a satisfactory harvest hand
rate from the railroads who could only
be induced to gice a one cent per mile
| fare from Missouri River, ard eastern
] points in Kansas. to the wheat belt, but
charged the regular rates in returning
This caused a great deal of dissatisfac-
/ ton when the men wanted to go home
! last season, many of them expressing
their determination never 10 return nor
! permit any of their friends to come to our
/ assistance in harvest, as it required prac-
! tically all the money they had earned, in
/ paying expenses coming and returning.
Now the proposition OF having the as
/ SCISSORS in the different townships gather
! the statistics from each grain grower in
! the wheat belt. covering the number Of
men and teams used last year, and the
! probable number he will require for the
/ coming harvest, would furnish all the
| necessary information TO handle this sub
! ject inteligently.
The information could be used to
/ great advantage in convincing the rail
roads Of the necessity of extending the
territory in which the rates would be ef-
fective. it would assist in convincing
them that not only low rate Of "a ASoad
+ faer TO the wheat belt is necessary. but
/ that return rate must be arranged for
! or the help cannot be induced to come.
The information would also be available
/ in advertising 70 the public our require
ments. which could not be questioned II
I gathered in such reliable way, also.
/ each county would know nearly TO man
and team. how much help they must pro-
I cure. and IN this way the extra men and
! teams would be evenly distributed. pre-
venting an over supply in some localities
and a shortage in others.
'If the plan 7 am proposing. IS adopted
/ by the assessors from year 20 year. and
a permanent bureau = handle the move
ment is established in Topeka. the har-
! vest hand problem Will De solved and the
grain growers interests fully protected In
F this particular. but as theinss are now.
the question is q serious one While 1
+ had matters well in hand IN this county
/ last season. and had knowledge II about
( the nDanbcr - extra men and teams
+ needed and had arrangements made for
/ the help. yet they had % come through
1 counties where TO mep and teams rad
/ been arranged for. and many that 7 eX-
pected were picked Nd on their way hy
/ The grain growers Of other counties. ard
put into their hsrvs4t fields. which con-
peeled ne Il seek others Again. when
men wscr enroute O. Pratt. or the rail-
roads. which had arranged fer. the fsT-
ners Of other counties would 81 lgto the
/ train and offer higher wages than tho
men we're promised here and ~ course
/ they got the men For instance. ore cav
/ had sixty men leave Kansas City Tor
/ Pratt bv the way q Wichita- hut before
/ the train. bringing them had reached the
/ frs: station IN Pratt county not man
/ vas left therefore Il IS Apparent that on
+ orEs nizati8n should 81 perfected. cover
/ ine the entire wheat belt 50 thaz a suf-
/ fcient number ~ rrer and teams car ~
arranged for before harvest begins. that
! that al paFties asy De thoroughly pa