Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-11
LABOR ON HARVEST FIELDS
SERIOUS Problem in the Great Wheat Belts
Of Northwest and Southwest
HOW IT HAS BEEN MET IN KANSAS
Twenty Thousand Harvester, n Thou
sand Cooks and Assistants
and Three Thousand Teams
Wanted This Year.

The demand for labor in the great wheat
belt Of the west promises to be quite as
great during this years harvest time as
ever and the problem Of meeting the de-
mand Is already occupying the minds OF
those directly interested. Less than a score
OF years ago few farmers would think Of
sowing more wheat or corn than their "
regular nelp could gather at harvest time.
The .nost a farmer in any community would
40 was to call a few Of the neighbors to as
sist, II the grain threatened to ripen too
fast during the cutting of the same. The
importing Of labor was unthought Of.
But today the wheat belts Of the north
west and the southwest afford a striking
contrast to the relatively small industry Of
those days. Hundreds OF acres In one field.
ono farmer operating twenty-five binders
and employing 100 harvest laborers, was be-
yond the widest dreams Of the old-time
agriculturist. Yet this is common enough
In the wheat growing districts today. And
Just so long as the individual farmer con-
tinues to raise large areas Of grain the
labor problem will confront him, though
the harvest hand" problem has already
been worked down to a fine point in some
great grain-raising communities.
system in wheat Raising.
In Kansas there Is quite as much system
about the harvesting OF the great wheat
crops as there is in the turning out Of steel
from the mills Of the Pennsylvania iron
region. The laborers OF the field need not
be skilled to perfection like those OF the
shops, yet harvesting requires no little
training and the most strenuous physical
exertion.
David w. Blaine. a farmer Of Pratt
county, Kansas, has arranged a plan to
furnish 10000 extra men every year to the
Kansas farmers His scheme is simple and
has already proved valuable, though it has
been in operation only three years. In
1901 alone 1t saved several hundred thou
sand dollars to the farmers of Kansas and
better results are expected the present
season. This saving has been accomplished
by securing help in ample time.
Mr.. Blaine began three years ago by adj
Nertising through the daily press for har-
vest hands" to go to his home commu-
nifty, Pratt county, and assist himself and
neighbors in caring for surplus grain.
Thousands Of idle men in the cities read
the information and hurried out. He
turned the surplus over to the railroad
companies and the men were sent where
most needed. Prior to that farmers Of
Pratt county have been depending upon
neighborhood help. II that were not forth
coming the wheat must die OF rotting before
It could be gotten into the stack. Over
ripe wheat cannot be allowed to stand in
the field more than a week before 1t COM
mences TO mould and grow musty.
Two years ago Blaine improved upon his
idea OF advertising by purchasing more
space and having the harvest hands go to
Kansas City as a central point, from there
70 he diatrihufad IN whaat rouyar NJ, +ha,,
called for them. But not one-fourth enough
men answered the advertisements and
farmers appealed in vain to the Kansas
City employment bureau. Last year Blaine
began earlier. He asked all OF the farmers
TO meet in their respective communities
about a month before harvest and decide
upon the number Of men they would need.
These reports were sent to him and as a
result he appealed for 10, 900 laborers and
5000 teams. The state employment agency
at Kansas City agreed to take care of the
harvest laborers and send, them into the
wheat belt as Blaine directed. He pre-
pared a list OF the needs of every commu-
nifty and as rapidly as the laborers arrived
at Kansas City they were sent on. But he
neglected to send a specified number Of
men into each community, depending upon
the county reports. So while the majority
VI Nhb a ANAo "Nlt hhpplldus NuObt living
In isolated portions of the state were neg
lected and the harvest hands were all en-
ployed before they reached their destina-
ton.
Plans for hi season.
This season Blaine secured even more
detailed reports of the needs OF the farm.
ers as early as April. getting the names
OF the farmers and number OF hands they
wanted in every township. He also Sc
cured a report on the condition OF wheat
at that time, BY keeping a close watch on
the weather report he will know in June
whether the number Of laborers shall be
diminished or increased as compared with
the supposed needs OF three months pre-
vious. Ever since he has been sending
circulars to the various employment agen-
cies In the United States stating that 90
900 men, 1000 women and 5000 teams can
be used In the Kansas fields, beginning in
June and lasting thirty days or more.
A general distributing agency has been
established at Kansas City, another at To-
peka and still another at Wichita In the
very center OF the wheat holt WHARF tho