The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1909-09-02
Hughes Estimates
100000 Bushels

of the Agricultural College to the
Forum this morning.
II have just returned from a "trip
of over Thousand miles thru the
state, and have seen everywhere, save
in the few places where hail has
beaten down the grain, crop of SUI
perior quality. It will not be the
bumper crop some people are talking
about, but it will bA ABOVE the aver
ave in yield, and far above the past
in acreage. North Dakota is good for
11O, OOO, 900 bushels of wheat this fall
"The talk about black rust lis rath-
er too late to scare people seriously
A week ago, when was in Williston
oat harvesting had begun and by this
time wheat will be largely In shock
Some damage may result in few
localities, but wide injury to the
crop is simply impossible.
"The labor situation, as observed in
the field, fully bears out the state
:. Is made by the Agricultural Col
lege thru the columns of the Forum.
They tell you down at the Twin Chit
les that the Dakota wheat fields are
oyer-rum with harvest hands. l tell
you that they are not. Men are let
ting their crops lie in the windrow,
they are working short handed, they
are putting their 'wvmen on the bin
ders, and are themselves shocking
their own grain in order to meet the
situation.
Tile shortage is mainly along the
branch lines The 500, from Hank'h-
SON to Bismarck, has more Een than
ara needed, am rat is the only .'a's
| of the state where that condition eX-
lists, sc far as my knowledge goes.
o. the line of the 500 from Bismarck
~ A not, save for one or two TWINS
| where they are hailed out, there IS a
demand for men that cannot be met.
: AT Coaylharbor men have been of1erMg
$500 per day, with few takers. Az
Minot there are a lot OF men VINO Will
not 20 ou; to the fields at any figure.
The men who will work are snapped
up on the streets at good price ana
the employment men tell me that they
cannot begin to get enough
Il see by the dailies THAT men are
returning to the cities. Let me tell
YOU that if a man leaves North Da-
koua at the present time because or
lack of work che fault is with the
man and not with the Job. Inc WoTK
is there, there is plenty of it, and the
wages are good. A man struck me
for meal down in Hankinson the
other day. He was one of a bunch OF
nerhaps twenty lhoboes, who are loaf'
ing about town in the hope OF stick
ing" the farmers for unreasonable
wages. Not fifteen minutes before
this happened a LEAKING farmer sole
me THAT every man who wanted te
work could get all the work he want
ed, a.: fair wages.
AS is usual, the best wages ane
the longest session are to be had alons
the branch line, and the central an;
northern parts of the state are tlf
best, from the standpoint of the mau
looking for work. There the wage!
are excellent. This talk about loV
wages, is mere talk for tune talks sake
It is we'll enough for the employment
agencies of the large cities to bea
the labor situation. That provide:
butter for their bread. The fact seems
to be that they are really unable tt
find the men and adop: the "men no
needed" cry in order ITO cover up 'llea7
own inhabilit.
"We need some organized system o
labor distribution. have on my desi
letters from men i'm the extreme cas-
tern part OF this country, begging TO-
a chance to work. Every morning th'
bread line forms in the city OF New
York. Times are not good down
there. They are hard. The Depart
ment of Commerce and Labor mas
written me asking that the College CO
operate with the Department IN al
effort TO secure places turnout thf
state for deserving men and women
lfrom the east We have already tax
en- the matter up. The Agriculture
lCollege cannot at this time assume
to act as a direct go-between or agen'
for workmen and employer, but ID
will have in disable shape, before
am other season opens, detailed 1nfor'
nation as to crop acreage, wages amc
length of season from every locality
in the state and will make every effor
to secure the better distribution OF the
labor coming into North Dakota.
A REVELATION