The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-07-24
LABOR SHORTAGE
MENACES HARVEST
Bumper Crop Prospect, but Heavy
Demand for Men Else
where.
TOILERS ARE BUSY ".
s. ON RAILROAD WORK
Strong Competition for Help,
with Higher Wages a Pos
f. sible Result.

In the light of the labor situation, the
prospect of bumper crop is menace
summer story of lack of men, but in
tensified this year because Of the heavy
acreage in sight and the tremendous
railroad development that is using the
services Of thousands of men that 9TH
erwise would help out in the harvest.
Agents are securing the states as Tar
south as hands can be secured. The
men are being shipped north, transpor-
'tation free, in preparation for the har-
vest.
While this is going on, neither rail-
roads nor labor agencies are hating
at,anything to get men to work on rail-
road extension and betterment work.
Wages are high and transportation is
free. Altho it is to the interest Of the
first thought just now is to get the
new lines finished in time to carry the
new crop.
Many Will Jump Jobs.
Hundreds of men are being carried
Into the northwest for railroad work,
gaging for longer than the two weeks
preceding harvest, unless the railroad
contractors bid higher than the farm
ers to keep them. The situation Is
creating tremendous competition for la
Dor and the farmers are straining every
nerve by hook or crook to get ready
for the grain cutting.
harvest labor situation by the fact that
help will come from an unexpected
source this year. Hundreds Of home
steaders who have taken claims this
year in North Dakota will have no crop
to sharvest, and time lying: heavily on
their hands, they will probably get into
the fields. ~
Railroad. and labor men who have
been approached. in regard to the labor
situation and the harvest shake their
heads and say it is the same old story
with the added contingency of big
crop. The labor agency managers say
that there is not the slightest excuse
for any man to be out OF WORK. :. ihey
explain the fact that q lot Of men can
be found loafing about Bridge Square, by
the statement that they simply will not
work Representatives of the employ
ment agencies are securing the streets
for laboring men and are shipping them
into the northwest free Of charge, and
without questioning them too closely al
to whether they viii stick by the work
they are hired for or whether they. will
stay on the train to destination. More
men, is the cry everywhere. Wages
are attractive and work is plenty. but
men are scarce
Won't Go to Work.
One hundred men wanted for the
harvest fields and not one man willing
to take the work, this IS the sltuatloI
ing, manager Of the Salvation Army Z
industrial home
.s'There are at least ten jobs fo
every man loafng around Brldg
square, said Captain Gooding today
"The difficulty is to get them to tax
them. Every evening you can see IT., tn
employment agents walk along the lin
sitting on the curb, offering good jobs
and see the men shake their heads
They viii crowd about some loud-voice,
street speaker and applaud him when h
tells how the laboring man has
chance, but they fade away whe
brought face to face with JOB whic
had at least 100 applications for me
to work in the harvest fields within tn
past week, but have refused to. try t
fill them, as the regular agencies ar
having hard enough time to- fill thei
orders without our entering into con
petition.
same conditions prevail. Every mor1
ing the man in charge turns out a
able-bodied dodgers and tells them t
get out and hustle; if he did not, the
would sleep there all day. The othe
day man came in here asking for hell
and when I told him we had no men, b
accused the army Of keeping the entl1
ness. That is unfair, for we will NJ
help any man who is able to help hin
self. Those men would rather sit. q
the curb and swear at their luck tina
do the hard work necessary to eau
money! .~, sz..-t~.-'- -
Sturdy men from old Englan
brought over to save the bumper sprli
wheat crop, will be found in the mort
west harvest fields in short tim
The Canadian Pacific road, famili
with labor conditions in the Unit
States and the Dominion, and forese
ing trouble in the combination of lab
scarcity and bumper crop, has p
into effect very low rate from En-
land with return privilege In Mover
Der. These men will land at Quebec
Winnipeg. Some will no doubt con
into North Dakota later on, tho the
first efforts will be expended in Mar
toba. Alberta or Saskatchewan. I
material help is expected from the
on the American side, but indirect
their presence Will relieve the SITUATE
and prevent SO great rush Of Anne
can labor across the line, thereby lea
ing more men in Minnesota and the
kotas to finish up the work. Probat
1000 men will come over.
The Labor Problem.
That the labor problem will be q
rious one this year is already clear.
the Chamber Of Commerce the topic
rife. Inquiries sent out over the ~
son private wires, and the private lii
Of the Piper, Lewis and Whallon offic
all tell Of the need Of men. McCaul
office reports that barley, oats and ]
are being cut today. and wheat will
cut next week at Redfeld and Alb
deem, s. D.. Mccarthy Brothers a
T. McCord have advices Of new Goa
grain being shipped, but the first /
Continued on I'd Page. 9th Column