Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-07-03
AID IN SOLVING
FARM PROBLEM
Holland Immigrants May Come
to Vermont and Supply the
Labor Shortage.

St. Adams, June Estate Commissioner
of Agriculture Elbert S. Brigham, ac-
companed by the Rev. John Van Burlt
of Monterey, Mass. and Vergil a.
Sanders of the United States department
of agriculture are on a rather extensive
automobile trip through certain sections
of Vermont looking over the situation in
regard to the lack Of farm laborcrs, says
to-day's Messenger.
Mr.. Van Burk is a native of Holland,
who came to this country in 1881 and has
been long an active worker in Y " c.
\. affairs. For some wears ne was sta
toned at Ellis island, in New York har-
Dor. his work having to do with the care
of immigrants, and he has also been
sent to his native country by the as
ISOLATION on lecture tours He is recog
n!zed as a man of sound ideas on the
matter of immigration and has been in
communication with Mr.. Brigham for
some time relative to getting Hollanders
to settle IN Vermont.
It was with the idea of seeing whether
the Hollander would make good man
for Vermont that Mr. Brigham invited
Mr. Van Burk to the State. The visitor
Is being taken to various sections where
he is given an opportunity to talk with
farmers and get their idea of things 1t
can be said that the result Of his first
days trip was most satisfactory and I'M
| less he finds an altogether different con
diton existing in those parts of the
| State other than Franklin county he will
| recommend that Hollanders come to YER
| mont.
| One certain result obtained from the
tour of Franklin county is the real live,
serious need of farm labor. Not farm
er was interviewed but that told of the
difficulty he experienced in obtalninH
steady. reliable assistants, and all eX'
pressed willingness to try the Hol'
landers. Most farmers declare that 1t Is
impossible to get all the men they want
| Many want married men and are able
and anxious to furnish them with houses
fuel and a garden plot, but are unable
to get the man and the woman. 1t also
was a general expression that If sufi-
cient help could be secured the farmers
would try to do more with the farms
would increase the acreage under cul
tivation. or would enlarge their dairy
1t did not take long to convince Mr.
Van Burk that there Is a field here for
|
conner Will he well treated and looked
after so long as he gives his services for
money received He thought that Yer
mont conditions would he agreeable &c
the nollandcr. The climate is better for
him than further south. But there IS
one great obstacle to be overcome. There
must be some way of keeping the new
corners here after they have arrived
Somthing must be done to tide over this
period OF discomfort with new conditions
that is bound to exist,
The immigrants mostly would be younl
men who would be restless, said Mr.. Var
Burk and who would be easily Influenced
to leave Vermont for other sections o.
the country where their fellow country
men are gathered. as In the middle West
Mr. Van Burk thought that this difficulty
might be overcome by the founding of {
colony in the state, He explained the In
ducemcnts that Canada is offering to hi
countrymen, but Mr.. brigham pointed
ont that II would be Illegal to secure
stated place of employment before thu
Immigrants arrived in this country. Mr.
brigham suggested that It might be sum
cient to have some married Hollander
come to the state and hire out to thos
farmers who wanted married couples. II
this manner the way would be paved 70
the coming of the younger men WIZ
would then have some OF their own peopl
in the neighborhood where they had 10
| Gated.
This appealed to Mr.. Van Burk' Wh
thought possibly It might take the plac
of the colony. He was emphatic IN de
claring that right start must be mao
If the attempt were to amount TO any
thing and ne said the problem was on
that would require a lot Of hard ant
right thinking, for 1t is a difficult one
: He thought II would be possible 10 ge
a families to come TO Vermont, for he sal
that on his last trip to Holland last yea
he found that 100 families had left TO
the Canadian West.
MI Sanders was chiefly interested Il
a crop conditions, He was told that ha
was a little below the normal and fully
D quarter less than the bumper crop o
= last year, Other crops are coming alon
& well, but the season has been backwaro