Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1910-05-18
Farm Labor in Virginia.

In speaking of the labor condi-
tons in this state Mr.. +. III.
La Baume, agricultural and in
dustrial agent of the Norfolk *
Western Railway, in Roanoke.
says:
The scarcity of farm labor is a
proposition that is staring every
Virginia farmer in the face, and is
proving the most serious handicap
to the development of the agri-
cultural resources of the state.
Thousands of acres of high class,
fertile land are lying utterly idle,
because labor for the cultivation of
same can not be obtained at req
sonable price.
The facts of the case are these.
The farm laboring element in Vir-
ginia, attracted by the larger wages
paid in other lines of work, have
deserted the farms and gone TO the
cities, TO the contractors camps and
TO the railroads, and can not be
induced to return to the farm.
i have given this matter great
deal of attention and have at last
succeeded in getting in touch with
parties who represent a class of
settlers who are anxious 20 get
back into the country on little
farms that they can cultivate and
call their own. The proposition
made me by these people is this.
If we can induce owners of
productive lands along our lines
of railroad to sub-divide their lands
into ten or twenty acre farms and
build a small cottage and other
buildings actually necessary to
make the place comfortabl, on each
alternate farm, then they will
agree to furnish the settlers, who
will rent the farms at a price that
will show a good return TO the
owner on the investment, under
their plan of colonization. 1t is
understood that they shall also
have the privilege of buying on
the installment plan.
1t can be readily seen that the
benefits that will accrue to the land
owner, are very attractive, as it
puts his idle lands into cultivation
on an interest earning basis and
increases the value of the property.
The whole trouble with the
South up to date has been that
owners of large tracts of land are
not inclined to put it on the markets
themselves and assume the re-
sponsibilities and the risks that
accompany farm land promotion.
They are not skilled in the promo
ton of these enterprises and have
had little or no experience in this
line of development. More I'M
fortunate still, however, is their
utter refusal in most stances to
cooperate with men who do know
the business and have demonstrated
their ability by the successful engi-
neering of large farm land enter
prises in the West. In other
words, the Southern land owner
Immediately gets cold feet when
he finds that any one else but HIM
self is going to realize profit from
the business and the natural result
has been that the people who can
make good in this development
work have let the South severely
alone.
We have the proposition, we
have the soil, and we have the
climate and transportation faciI-
ties. Let us show a more cordial
spirit of cooperation with the
newcomer who is willing to put his
experience and money into the
field.
1 will be glad to hear from any
owners of large tracts of land who
are open To the development pro-
position and will be glad to put
them in touch with the parties
above mentioned, who i believe
can be of assistance in settling up
the lands
"a IN DymEDn nInn