The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1914-08-05
ARMY CLEANS UP
OKLAHOMA CROPS
Great Industrial Gathering har-
vests Big Wheat Yield.
HIGH CLASS FARM HANDS.

v " W SfifN~N ~NN
Into okIahoma-They Bring Forth
Wheat Crop Of s~3o,ooo,ooo and Dat
Crop of s~15,ooo,ooo.
Oklahoma Clty.-Thirteen thousand
men from many parts Of the United
States were dispatched into the harvest
fields of Oklahoma during the first
three weeks In June by the Oklahoma
department of labor and a record
breaking handling Of the wheat and
oat crops resulted.
Never before In the southwest was
such a large body of laboring men mo-
bilized and dispatched to their places
OF labor in so short "A time and with
little friction. Men covered freight
trains like blackbirds. They tumbled
off by the score at towns along the
line and were picked up by wagons
and hurried into the fields and the
whole state was cleaned up like magic.
Two important hindrances were en-
countered by the generals of the de.
partment of labor. At Enid a large
contingent of the assembled laborers
were influenced by the Industrial
Workers OF the World, who persuaded
q number of them to hold out for
higher wages than those offered by
farmers-$2 and $3.50 n day with board
and sleeping place. The other hin.
| drance was by farmers along the rail
| roads running west from Enid, who,
ignoring the carefully laid plans of the
| department, picked off men as they
passed along on their way to other
points TO which they were consigned In
filling orders for men regularly filed
with the department.
William G.. Ashton, assistant CON-
missioner Of labor. who directed all
the movements of the campaign, over
came the influence of the |. w. W.
workers at Enid within u few hours.
The men who had been pulled away
were promised two meals a day and
other considerations while they await
ed disposition under higher wage
terms. In order that this scheme
might be carried out the leaders were
compelled to appear before the county
commissioners and ask that provisions
be supplied the men, a majority of
whom were without money.
simultaneously Ashton went before
the commissioners and explained that
his department had places for 1000
men at once at wages of 81 TO $3.50 q
day. The commissioners refused to
make an appropriation for food, and
the ranks of the strikers o o dwin-
died. That same day the rebels were
pacified and were sent out on trains
into the fields
Enid was made the distributing point
of most of the northwest counties, and
about 1000 men were handled out of
that place. Enid Is the seat of n state
employment agency and the largest
city in the whole wheat belt. Bust
ness became so heavy al this office,
however. that other offices were open,
ed nearer the wheat areas of the far
Their northwest, one at Ava and n al
Woodward. In each of these towns
about $500 men were handled
Two or three weeks before the sea
son opened the department of labor
had learned the opening dates I'm the
several subdivisions of the wheat belt
and men and boys were assembled &C.
cordingly. Representatives of the de.
partment visited every county in the
wheat belt and ascertained the ap-
proximate number OF men that would
be needed. This information they OBJ.
tanned by personal interviews, by tele
phone conversation and through com
mercial organizations. The newspa
pers took up the call and spread II
into every county, and the United
States department Of labor placed 1t ir
conspicuous places In many parts OF
the country.
Assistant Commissioner Ashton es-
Inmates that the entire campaign cost
the department only S700. and the men
harvested a wheat crop valued at $50,
100000 and an oat crop valued at SIS,
100000
Business men gave up their work
to assist u.s." say Mr.. Ashton. Bank.
ers, merchants, editors, lumbermen
real estate dealers and others co-operat
ed with us in every possible way"
The eagerness with which harvest
hands were gathered up by farmers
along the railroads Is illustrated by
Commissioner Ashton.
There were frequent scrambles
among farmers TO get hold of the mer
unloaded." he says. This was true
especially at Woodward. a far western
: point, which our men reached late. ]
saw several times one farmer trying
to entice laborers away from another
farmer. One of them was wise TO the
ways of the hotel porter. and he held
his men by carrying their grips to his
wagon as he ran a gantlet of farmers
trying to grab the prey
Farmers near Enid were forced to
see hundreds of men go past their
fields on their way to western points
and they were late In getting their
crops taken care of. Some of them
raised the price 80 cents to 81 a day
owe the prevailing prices OF the wheat
belt. Some offered men nor only three
square meals a day. but five. and there
were others who were willing TO chance
prosecution for violation of the prohi.
bition law by offering a few cold bot
ties daily as extra Inducements"