The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-18
WHERE LABOR Is ALWAYS IN
DEMAND.

DEMANDs
The public has recently been hearing
good deal concerning the demand for labor
by Kansas farmers. For several weeks
past an agency has been maintained at
Kansas City for no other purpose than to
secure men willing TO work as farm hands
and forward them as rapidly possible to
given points. A number of students of Har-
ward and other Eastern colleges, anxious
to keep up their athletics and DESTROYS of
new experience. have gone to Kansas and
week and found" AS farm hands they
will be a little green at first. but in that,
as in everything else, blood and brains will
tell, and as likely as not when their time
is up the farmers will not want to let them
go. A few days ago several negroes who
had heard Of the country where labor was
in such demand arrived in Kansas. and.
in order TO get the highest wages possible,
offered their services to the highest bidder
and were auctioned off at from 81 to S. per
day. And Kansas is not the only State
where farm labor is in demand. The same
condition prevails in other wheat-growing
States and will continue all through har-
vest. From California comes demand for
men to pick the fruit crop. An immigration
commissioner from that State now in the
East wishes to secure 1900 men to go there
with a guarantee of employment from the
time OF their arrival. In Washington
few days ago he published an appeal to
department clerks who were tired Of that
life or who wished to take a summer vaca-
ton and pay expenses to buy an excursion
ticket to California and guaranteed them
steady employment at from $50 to $3.50 per
day. He assured them that in two months
they could more than earn their railway
ticket. Perhaps" he added, you will not
wish TO return to the East when you find
what fine State we have. If you do not,
there will be work for you all the year
round" But one does not have to go as
far as California or Kansas to find de-
mand for labor in the country. 1t exists
in Indiana and in every Western State.
more marked. of course, during harvest
time, but steady the year round. Good
farm hands are always in demand at good
living wages. Agriculture is by far the
greatest interest of the country and gives
employment to much larger number of
persons than any other one occupation. In
1900 the total amount of capital invested
in manufactures in the United States was
1881, 4S6.5oO while the total value Of farm
property. including land, improvements,
machinery and live stock, was SIC. AS. 901. 164.
The total number of farms was 5.737.372; the
total number of farm owners, 3,712. 40s;
number of cash tenants. 1866; number of
share tenants, 1273,299. These figures do
not include hired hands, which would great
ly swell the total number of persons en-
gagged in farming.
In view of these facts, of the practically
unlimited field which agriculture offers and
of the healthfulness and proftableness of
the occupation, it is inexplicable why hun
dreds of thousands of men should prefer
herding. loafing and starving in the cities
to earning good wages and enjoying the
free and independent life of the country.
There is not loafer or an idler in any city
VI the CIllteu SldteS, white Or Out IL
he were willing to work could get steady
employment in the country at good wages
and could soon become cash tenant or
tenant on shares and begin to lay the
foundation of a competence. This would
be infinitely better than lodging the police.
participating in lynchings or serving as
walking delegates of socialism and crime
Those who prefer this sort of thing to hon
est work probably could not be induced to
leave the cities, but there is considerable
class of honest poor men who would do
so if they could. 1t would be money well
spent if every State should make an annual
appropriation to aid in relieving the con-
gested population OF cities by assisting
those who willing to work to migrate
to farming regions where there Is always
an unsatished demand for labor.