The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-04-09
MORE HELP NEEDED
BY FARMERS IN
THIS STATE
Commissioner Brigham Makes
New Departure
WILL OPEN AN AID BUREAU
Has Been Done BY Other States With
Success Especially In Get
ting immigrants

II Is a matter OF common knowledge
that the farmers ofVermont in COM
mon with those of other states are
seriously handicapped by shortage
of reliable farm labor. Although sta
tistics show that the wages paid farm
labor in the United States are now So
per cent higher than they were during
the eighties and about So per cent
higher than they were in 1894. the
supply of farm help is yet far short of
the demand. The result is that crops
are now actually lost because help Is
scarce and many of our farmers, es-
pecially those who own their farms,
prefer to do small business utilizing
their own labor and that of their fami-
lies, rather than to extend their bust
ness and depend upon unreliable help,
which would mean practically that the
burden of the work would fall upon
the owner in seasons of rush. Real
estate agents report number of
farms for sale in this state, the prin-
cipal reason given for the disposal OF
which is that the owners cannot Sc
cure reliable labor with which to work
them.
Other states have given attention to
a solution of this problem. Massa-
chusetts and Connecticut maintain EN-
ployment bureaus. The secretary of
the state board of agriculture of Kan
sas carries on campaign of adyertis-
ing In large cities during harvest sea-
sons and thereby obtains number of
hands for the securing of the crops Of
Kansas farms. The department Of ag-
riculture of the state of New York
maintains employment bureaus in
New York city and Albany. By means
of these bureaus a yearly average of
nearly 5000 men has been secured for
the farmers of New York state
throu the past eight years.
Commissioner of Agriculture f. S.
Brigham thinks the time has now
come when the department of agri-
culture of the state of Vermont may
well give attention to this problem.
Although the funds at the disposal of
this department which may be devot-
ed to this purpose are not sufficient
to give an extended service, yet the
commissioner has decided to open
farm labor employment bureau in con-
nection with his Office. The plan is to
allow all farmers who are in need OF
farm labor to apply to this bureau
stating fully their wants, kind of farm
ing they are engaged in, the wages
they are willing to pay, etc. The plan
for securing labor is twofold; first to
enable the laborers in our towns and
cities of Vermont to get in touch with
local employers. it is proposed to al
lox.f Iak ~ rtCfe. af dc htar ~
stating their experience, wages they
desire, etc. Then it is proposed to is
sue circulars revised from time to
time putting registered employers and
laborers in touch with each other.
The second plan to enlarge the
supply is to try to attract labor from
outside of the state. The most promis
ing source of supply is the newly ar
rived immigrants who come to this
country in great numbers every year,
a large percentage of them having
been engaged in farm labor in their
home countries.
During the past month Commission
er Brigham has been in correspon-
dence with the bureau of immigration
and with a number of societies which
are cHSdStu III tue MOIh VI 6tltiuS pO
sitions for immigrants. To employers
who are in need of farm labor and
who wish to employ immigration Ia
borers application blanks will be fur
nished so that they may be forwarded
to the proper immigrant officials and
officers of varios societies who will do
their best to supply the demand from
this state.
Mr.. Brigham says: I'VE must real
lie that in pursuing this policy We are
In competition with other states who
are engaged in the same work and
that the greater amount of mony
which they have appropriated for this
purpose and which enables them to
have a representative at the immigrant
stations, gives them an advantage in
selecting men of the most desirable
type. Since We must take men that
are sent us by the various organiza-
lions and societies We must not ex-
pect too much. Again not as much
should be EXPECTED OF these newly ar
rived immigrants, who are strangers
to our people and our ways of doing,
as Is expected from our native labor.
Our people should study the habits of
the immigrants and should take pains
TO make conditions as pleasant for
them as possible. II will make for
the success of this new undertaking
n the farmers who live in the same
neighborhoods will combine and try