The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1906-07-19
Laborers Scarce

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Will there be men enough for the
harvest field. this fall? That is the
question that is worrying those North
Dakota farmers who are looking
ahead. With crops in fine condition
and every prospect of a more bounti-
full harvest than has ever been known
in the state before those who r
watching the labor market are won
dering where the men will come from
to handle it. They are certainly not
to be picked up around the towns of
the state at present.
In Fargo the places which are US
ually f%requented by laboring men and
where crowds of men " often seen
loafing around waiting for something
to turn up are almost deserted, and
this condition of affairs has existed
for several months. There is work
enough now for all the men who are
willing to labor and at good wages.
When the demand begins to come in
for harvest hands it is a question
where they will be obtained. One cause
of the demand for men is the immense
amount of work which is being done
by the railroads. In North Dakota
the 500 is extending it's branch from
Underwood northward, the Great
Northern is extending it's Aneta branch
through to connect with the main lines
at Devils Lake. The Milwaukee is
carrying on extensive building opera
tions in South Dakota and is rapidly
approaching the state line with the in
tention of going west and north thru
Morton, Stark and Billings counties
in this state, while further to the
south the Minneapolis and St. Louis
is doing considerable building.
TO the north the Grand Trunk and
j. j. Hills new road are racing each
other thru western Canada for the Pa
cifc coast, while the Canadian Pacific
is building about 900 miles of branch
lines to tap the new country which is
being opened up in western Canada.
Added to this is the double tracking
which is being done by the Northern
Pacific between Dilworth and Staples
and the building of the new yards and
other improvements requiring the en-
ployment of nearly 5000 men.
Then there is a great amount Of
building which is going on turnout
the northwest, especially in North Da-
kota, where new towns are springing
up continually. All these operations
require the employment of a vast army
of laborers, and there seems to be few
left for anything new.
Many of the farmers are now pay
ing as high as $50 a month and board
to men whom they keep regularly m
ployed. Last year the wages ran from
$3.50 per day for harvest hands to SO
for members of the threshing crews.
Farmers can scarcely afford to pay
more than this and hope to make much
profit out of their crops, but they are
not likely to get men for less this sea-
son. Their chief hope of securing
plenty of helpers lies in their attract
ing men from the railroad jobs thru
the offer of better wages, as the
amount the farmers pay during har-
v%esting and threshing seasons is in
excess of what railroads offer the
men.
The railroad contractors realize
this and it is n of the reasons that
they have begun building operations
early with the idea of completing them
if possible before harvesting begins.
1t is understood that the Great North
ern expects to have its Aneta branch
finished before that time, and the 500
will probably have it's extension near
ly done. The Northern Pacific off,
Gals also hope to have their improve
ments finished before there is n
great demand for men to harvest the
crops.
This arrangement is beneficial in
many ways. It furnishes plenty of
work at good wages for the willing
laborer from early in the spring until
the winter season, ever if he does
nothing during the cold months. It
prevents the railroads and farmer S
from hampering each other by compe-
tition for labor, and also gives the
railroads additional trackage for the
handling of the heavy crop business.
1t should solve the problem.