The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-05
TRAkPSSHUNTH WHEAT BELT
LABOR NEEDED THERE TO HAIR
VEST THE BIG CROPS,
80 HobOes DO Not Take Chancos--AnOther
Big Bumper Crop I'm wheat and Corn
lin Manufactures Have Plenty
OF Money--LarSe Farms Arc I'm Favor.

Esig Bumper Crop I'm wheat and Corn
In Nebraska-Farmers Have Plenty
OF Money--HarSe Farms Arc I'm Favor.
LINCOLN, Neb., July 4.-Nebraska and
Kansas are remarkably free from tramps
just now and this condition promises to
continue for another month. The tramps
have evidently begun to read the news
papers, or efse word has been passed around
that the wheat belt OF the West Is bad place
for the hobo in the good old summer time.
Some fantastic tales have gone out from
the West in past years about desperate
farmers who have boarded freight trains
and impressed the wayfaring passengers
into service In the harvest fields to save
their ripened grain from destruction. but
these tales have had only q slight basis
Of truth. Nevertheless, the tramps seem to
have taken the alarm.
Whatever may be the cause. the fact
exists that the tramps are very scarce this
year, and the State Labor Bureau and
employment agencies in the various cities
are being deluged with inquiries for har-
vest hands. II Is estimated that the
shortage in this State alone will be several
Thousand.
The cool weather Of May and June re-
tarded the ripening of wheat in this State,
as well AZ in other Western States, and the
pinch has not yet come. The first grain
will he cut next week aud from that time on
the demand for harvest hands will be
great. Ordinary unskilled labor in the cities
has been getting Si.15 and % a day, and
there is practically no surplus market TO
draw from this year, public improvements
and private enterprises absorbing about all
of the available men.
Last year as much as % and "a day was
paid to experienced harvesters, and with
wheat at its present high price the farmers
will not care much what the harvesters
demand The wheat growers have already
run up against the fact that the farmhands'
union was no winters dream OF the hired
men. High wages are demanded and So
cured by the hired hands. In many cases
as much as $50 and SIS a month, with board
and laundry added, is being demanded, with
at least six months work guaranteed
Eastern and central Nebraska have been
pretty well organized and the minimum
schedule of s25 il easily enforced.
Nebraska is going to have another big
bumper crop this year. both in wheat and
corn The acreage OF winter wheat is
estimated by the crop experts at more
than two and a half millions, which in
sures yield Of from 90, OO0, 900 10 rs, 000, 900
bushels. The acreage is about 100000
acres larger than last year. The corn
acreage will go about 5.s0O,O 900 acres and
that OF oats to l,7S0, 600 acres which are
about the average for the past four years.
For the last two or three years the acreage
OF corn has decreased as that OF wheat has
increased, but the farmer has discovered
that IL pays to plant both. One crop Is
well enough in States where climatic con-
ditions do not vary much from year to year,
but In Nebraska and Kansas the agricul-
turists have learned not to figure on one
crop alone.
1t is rarely the case that both corn and
wheat fail in the same year, II the spring
is wet and cold wheat hourishes and corn
does not II the contrary conditions
obtain corn, being the later planted. has an
excellent chance Of winning ont.
This year floods and rains caused the
postponement Of planting until nearly
June 1. This has necessitated the planting
of ninety-day corn in order to escape the
frosts of early aut umn, but this grades
well.
The crop sharps say that the era Of cheap
corn is past in the West Foreign demand
has increased so greatly in recent years
that IL will always command good price,
the exports being many times as large as
formerly There never will be enough
wheat raised materially to reduce the price,
experts say, the discovery OF new fields
failing TO keep pace with the expansion
of the wheat consuming population.
The acreage OF all crops is larger than
ever before because the western and north
western parts Of the State, through irriga-
ton and scientific farming, have been
redeemed from their old place az grazing
lands and made into profitable farms:
Large fields Of alfalfa are in bloom and
the returns are even richer than those
from wheat fields. :,
The calamity bowler has been ehectually
disposed OF in the West. The Money Power
has no terr0rs any longer for the Western
farmer. He has become something OF
money power himself.
He borrows only TO buy more land and
his only dealing with the Eastern capitalist
is when the latter comes along seeking
good investment for his money. The
for farmer TO borrow money from him.
The large farm is growing in favor, and
in one county in southwestern Nebraska
this year four German farmers. men who
came here fifteen years ago with but little
money, have a tract Of $1,000 acres sown
in winter wheat. Ten thousand dollars
clear of an SOO-aore farm makes Nebraska
farm lands better than Government bonds.
This condition Of affairs has greatly
stimulated business In all the towns and
cities OF the State. Farmers are buying
better goods and more OF them, and the
country banks are full OF money. Country
banking in the West liz one of the best money
making propositions OF the day.
While local loans are comparatively
small, the plethora OF money Ia brough
interest rates on deposits down low. The
surplus money is easily disposed OF in the
city repositories, through which it is lent
the East, and not a little OF the capital
used in Wall Street Ii really the property
Of Western farmers.