Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-04-18
THE MAN And The JOB.
II.-HarveSt Hands.
BY Frederic J. Haskin.

In that belt OF grain producing states
that lies between Texas and Canada
there will be needed this summer for a
short time 100000 workingmen who
will have to move on again when the
fall comes. They are necessary that
the crops may be harvested. There are
other sections where there will be
great temporary needs for labor at the
time of the ripening of other crops.
There are fruit crops to be gathered,
hops to be picked. cotton to be brought
to the gin. The manner in which this
| seasonal labor may be supplied with
| out its being stranded when the work
is completed Is one of the knotty prob
lens which the federal Department Of
Labor Is attempting to solve.
The problem is hardest in the great
plains states. The resident population
of those states is sufficient to carry on
the work of it's farms except at harvest
cutting grain and thrashing it in Ok
lahoma. 1t Is two weeks later in Kan
sas, and does not come in the Dakotas
until the middle of July. There are
sturdy farmers and their sons, who.
year after year. start with the harvests
in the south and work north with the
season. They get three or four months
work by knowing just how to play the
game. But aside from these, 1t Is neces-
sary that the grain states should get
great numbers of laborers from the
outside. Last year, for instance. Kan
sas asked the federal government to
send it 10000 men, Missouri called for
30, 900 and other states for similar num-
bers. To supply great numbers of men
for a short time-that was the difficult
problem that the government attempt
ed to handle.
The youthful Department of Labor
made almost it's initial experiment as
an employ
Department of Labor ment agen-
Made First Experiment. it. LAST rea n
attempted to fill this order. Yet it
was to a considerable extent success
full; in addition to which it gained some
valuable experience.
The call last year came from the
state labor commissioners, and it was
with them that the federal department
did business. In response to their
pleas for help the government sent out
placards to postmasters in adjacent
states who were instructed to bulletin
them. These placards set forth that
harvest hands were wanted in the
states named, and the points at which
applicants should apply were enumer-
ated. They stated the nature of the
work. the wages paid and recited the
fact that the harvest season was but
about six weeks long in given locali-
ties. Those seeking this sort of work
were warned that there would be no
local employment when the harvest was
over.
The result of this governmental cam
paign for harvest hands was that la
borers were abundant in the grain
states and that the crops were gath
cred with great expedition. There was.
however. a somewhat sorrowful after
math. Many of the laborers who fol-
lowed the harvests had no place in par
ticular to go after they were over.
They spent their earnings and became
stranded. The situation was unfortu-
nate for them, and for the communities
in which they We're placed.
There was further trouble due to the
fact that, when a postmaster puts up
placard. he is likely to let it stay up in
0efinitely. SO it happened that, along
toward Christmas there were still dis
played in many post offices announce
ments to the effect that harvest hands
were needed in the middle west. Many
Of the unwary saw these signs, neglect
ed to note the specified dates and wrote
or actually went after the jobs. Their
experiences were not happy.
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