The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1913-04-09
Found That Right Kind of Help Is
Getting Scarce and That Immi-
grants Do Not Come In.
BOYS STAY HOME-GIRLS LEAVE
Younger Generations Breaking
Church Hes-Less Interest in Poll
tics Than Twenty Years Ago.

That farm labor is as onerous as
ever despite the decrease in actual
manual work, brought about by ma
chinery, is the contention of the
bureau of research in agricultural
economics of the University of Mime
sofa after survey Of one of the more
prosperous townships in Southern
Minnesota.
This conclusion. along with others,
will be set forth in a seventy-five
page monograph to be issued in the
near future
A change of type in farming is
held responsible for the increased
amount of labor regarded, as neces-
sary on the farm today, as compared
with that of few years ago.
"A painstaking dependable class of
labor is required to carry on success
full farming as advocated by agricul-
tural experts" says the summary at
the conclusion Of the monograph.
IT, Other points summarized~fo follow
"The right kind of farm labor is
getting scarce and increasingly diff
cult to get.
THE cause of this scarcity is that
foreign labor is no longer coming in
to replace the native sons who get
some schooling and then try their
luck in the city or go where land is
cheaper
Many farmers regard it unfair
where they are charged prices high
enough to maintain a city delivery
service from which they derive no
benefit
"A large number of farmers say
they are especially interested in the
daily papers because of what they
learn from the marketing page.
occasional failures or mistakes
among farmers have tended to create
a feeling of distrust regarding the
efficacy of cooperation. This diff
dence has not been sufficient, how
ever, to prevent steady growth in
farmers organizations.
"Politically, farmers are less active
than they were generation ago
Generally they feel that politics is
outside of their domain and that it is
futile for farmers to concern them
selves about affairs of state.
"The farmers do not feel satisfied
with what the country schools have
accomplished.
THE church membership Of the
township Is thirty per cent higher
than that of the state, but the young
>er generations are breaking church
connections. Farmers maintain that
'preseht-day conditions on the farm
make it too hard to get to church or
anywhere else
THE farmers wives are not as anx-
ious to leave the farm as their hus-
bands. Twenty-Five per cent of the
men want to go to town to live as
soon as they can afford to do so; only
thirteen per cent of the wives had
the same desire
with the youth it is different; the
girls leave the farm more than the
boys. Seventy-eight per cent of the
sons over twenty-one years of age of
present heads of families are now
farming, while only forty-seven per
cent Of the daughters are living on a
farm. The causes for the outflow of
youth are the same as the causes for
the 'hfred-help problem and the
tenancy problem They are social
causes. --~ ..-sa.
Farmers say that the only way to
improve country life is to make it re-
turn bigger profits-big money re-
turns are needed, not only big crops.
LESS than fifty per cent Of the
farmers read their farm papers; but
there is growth of opinion that it
is we'll to keep up with the times, in
farming as we'll as other things
- Each year the farmers of the
township could construct one mile OF
permanent road-bed, well-drained
and gravelled, for the amount OF
money they now distribute over the
township. II taxes were used accord
ing to the plans Of the state high
ay sesinser.