The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-03
THEY FALL OUT.
Blaine, of Pratt, Locks Horns
With the Governor.
They Disagree About Harvest
Hands Required.
WANTS 500 MEN NOW.
Mr.. Bailey Says They Don't
Need Them.
Special Rate in Effect on Tues
day, July z.

AS is usual, D. w. Blaine of Pratt has
found someone to disagree with him.
This time it is Governor Bailey.
Blaine of Pratt is the man who sells
farm implements and complies harvest
hand estimates. Harvest hand esti-
mates are his speciality. He usually sets
the estimate high enough so that it will
cover all emergencies. and loss by trans
nilsson. Thursday, Blaine of Pratt sent
to T. B. Gerow, agent of the free en-
ployment bureau, this telegram:
only a few men are arriving. Must
have 500 more at once or loss will be
heavy"
This was followed up by a letter in
which this statement occurs:
THE governor was here yesterday,
and no doubt heard enough to know the
seriousness of the harvest hand ques-
ton in this county. We have received
less than 100 men in this county, brought
in by railroads.
Governor Bailey's trip to Pratt was
productive of the following opinion in
regard to the harvest hand situation
there which Governor Bailey gave to-
day to a reporter for the State Journal:
|. Il talked to good many people about
InG harvest SllQdtlOAi dAAQ W4AAAC J00SN
that they could use a few more men, I
think they will get along all right. If
the weather continues fair, they will be
able to take care of their wheat and get
it safely harvested. have noticed that
they always do manage to get in the
crop, even when hands are short They
work overtime and hurry things up a
little all along the line"
State Free Employment Agent I: 3,
Gerow says that if Blaine of Pratt had
not issued circulars offering $l.75 a LAY
for harvest hands in his locality, II
would have been much easier to send
men there. Gerow starts a shipment OF
men off for Pratt, and the men tnd
out that farmers all along the line arc
Offering 81, and they naturally stop be-
fore they get to Pratt.
Trainmen say that it is common lol
the farmers along the way to meet In
coming trains, get on the cars ana IN
vite the passengers to get off and go to
work In this way many men who
start for definite places out west nevei
get there.
SPECIAL RATE ON JULY Z.
On July there will be a special rate
made from Chicago and st. Louis to
all points in the Kansas wheat belt
This rate is the regular ''colonist" fare.
made primarily for the purpose of in~
ducing people to come out west ana
look at the country. 1t is expected.
however that many laborerS from the
east will take advantage of the situa.
ton to come out west and go to work
in the wheat harvest
A special rate on July will land the
men in Kansas about July 8, and that
will be early enough to take in large
portion of the harvest
Communications have been received
by Mr.. Gerow from employment agents
in Chicago and ST Louis offering to
send out all the men possible on
Ius@- z.
PLENTY AT GREAT BEND.
Great Bend has been the mecca for
more harvest hands than any other one
point So many have come in there that
the town is glutted, and can find places
for no more. This is especially true of
men who are not first class and are new
to the business. The following letter is
from Lee Wyatt to the State Journal:
Great Bend, July 3.
Dear Sirs: I arrived IN Great Bend
this morning, and there is a large de-
mand for men here-good men, There
are many men here who would rather
talk than work I send You these lines
so that when people return from here
and say that they can't get work, you
may know they are false.
LEE WYATT"
A letter received from E. r. Moses &
Co. by Mr. Gerow states that there are
men enough at Great Bend. Moses &
Co. is the big milling firm there, and is
fully nosted on the situation.