Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-05-17
MEN FOR HARVESTS
LABOR COMMISSIONERS PLAN TO
SECURE LARoRERs FOR SEA-
SON OF 1904.

10 SYSTEMATIC the demand for har-
vest hands and shift them as needed
the labor commissioners of Iowa and
other western states have formulated
the plan of perfecting an organization
IN each OF the states and the Western
passenger Association has been asked
10 grant special rate for the men for
tne harvest fields during the season of
ISo4. 1t is expected that State Labor
commissioner for Iowa Il. D. Brigham
VIII near from the association relative
10 the proposition within a few DAYS.
The commissioners have asked spe-
cial rate of one cent per mile for the
men IN companies of five or over, the
rate TO be good over all western lines
curing the harvest period. The thing
which has delayed the association in
making reply to the request of the COM
missioners has been the consideration
OF how these low fare tickets can be
Kept out Of the hands of spectators
and scalpers.
Need Many Laborers.
II the havest in the seven states
included in this movement were to oc-
cur at the same time it would take
10000 extra laborers properly to han
die the grain in the fields to keep it
sound. Because of the fact that the
season is later in the northern states
than in the southern it is estimated
that not to exceed $4,000 men will be
required. The states included are Ok
lahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska,
Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota.
Will Organize States.
The plan which has been presented
to the Western Passenger association,
requiring fiat one-cent railroad fare
for the harvest hands. is described by
Labor Commissioner Brigham as fol-
lows in part:
Each state department will organ
lze system of correspondents all over
the territory given to agricultural in
terests. 1t has been demonstrated by
Commissioners Anderson of the Mis-
souri, state bureau that the railroad
agents make the best correspondents.
Arrangements are made with the pas
senger departments of the various
railroads to permit their agents to act
in such capacity. If necessary other
correspondents may be established in
the persons of farmers or grain men
who have knowledge of their com
munity. These correspondents will re-
port weekly or whenever necessity de-
mands, to their state bureau. regarding
the number of men needed in that vi
cinity. In this way each state bureau
will know exactly how many men are
needed in the state and precisely where
they are needed and in what numbers
1t has been decided by the Association
of Labor Bureaus that Kansas City
should be the original distributing
point and the permanent HEADQUARTERS
opens first in Oklahoma and Kansas,
Kansas City is the most convenient,
practical and only logical point for the
distribution of men.
Have Clearing House.
Secretary Jamison, who is also SUI
perintendent of free employment at
Kansas City, will maintain the perma-
nent headquarters of the association in
that city, and that office will act as a
sort of clearing house for the associa-
ton. That is, each state bureau will
report weekly to the Kansas City head
quarters regarding the number of men
needed in the respective states and as
the harvest ends will report regarding
the number of men available for trans
ferring. Under such an arrangement
the Kansas City Office will, lat all times,
be in possession of information con-
corning the number of men needed or
available for shipment at all points in
the states of the association.
Will Shift Men.
when the harvest season begins in
Oklahoma, the Kansas City office will
secure and ship all the men available
into that territory to the points where
needed. While the harvest continues
in Oklahoma, the Oklahoma bureau
will have charge of the local shifting
of men and as the harvest proceeds
northward the Oklahoma bureau will
ship all available men to points in
Kansas and Missouri will be entirely
to the governed by information fur
nished from headquarters. The shift
ing in Kansas and Missouri will be en-
tirely in charge of the respective state
Offices. This plan will. be in force
throughout the entire territory as the
harvest proceeds northward into the
Dakotas and Minnesota.
Demand for Men.
During the season of 1903 condi-
tons became such that some of the
state bureaus were unable to cope with
the situation. This inability was occa-
stoned by an insufficient supply Of la
Dor to supply the demands for men,
from the agricultural sections during
the harvest season. In Kansas the
demands for men amounted to approx.
mately $4,000 and the state bureau
was able to furnish nearly $4,000. Ne.
braska was not SO successful in supply
ing the demand, owing to the fact that
previous to 1903 the demand had never
been extensive, but the 1903 grain
crops was SO much of an increase over
preceding years that the situation was
suddenly forced upon the state bureau.
which was taken rather unawares and
in the short time it was unable to meet
it. The demand in that state was in
the neighborhood of $4,000, and the
state bureau was only able to supply
slightly over 5000. In the other