New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-12
Soldiers Of the Soil
Need for Farm Workers Desperate
and Their Numbers Few

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: Nav | not urge that The Tribune with
it's nowerful influence should start campaign
for supplying the farms OF our state lmrne-
diately with adequate labor power? lhere
has been so much publicity given to the fact
that this individual or that has ploughed up
lawn and will plant vegetables that the TACT
is ignored that there is not sufficient LABOR on
the farms of our state to put under cultiVa-
ton as much land as last year.
While the general press is giving US pictur-
esoue examples of devoted people turning
citv lot or tiny flower bed to use for grow
ing onions, the agricultural press OF the state
which goes into every farmhouse is advising
the farmers not to plough up as much land as
last season. The agricultural papers are run
in the interest Of the farmer and 1t is not 10
the financial interest of the farmer to put
labor into ploughing up field to pay Tor
scod for sowing when there is not the slight
est prospect that he can get labor to carry on
the daily work of the farm and meet the de-
mands of the harvest.
This advice of the agricultural papers and
the resulting shortage of food production can
only be met by an immediate campaign on the
part of the general press and by instant or
ganizaton in every department OF the state
to meet the crisis. In the first place, the
Legislature has utterly failed to do its duty
to the agricultural interests. lt has cut down
appropriations for agricultural purposes
Grants to agricultural schools have been low
cred: only few weeks ago, for instance, the
appropriation was dropped of 800 for the
salary of the teacher of canning at the Farm
ingdale Agricultural School on Long Island.
What a travesty it is that when America is
promising to feed Europe, the Legislature of
the Empire State is pairing down legitimate
expenditures for preparing the hosts that
must create the food that Europe and Amer
lea are TO eat!
Within the next two weeks, the seed sowing
time, we must raise an agricultural army or
we shall produce less than We did last year.
The press should make it known that we need
soldiers Of the soil. The state should stand
ready to organize first line of defence where
the weapons are the hoe and the spade
There seem 20 be four great reservoirs OF
agricultural labor power which could DC
tanned. but which can only be tapped ana
made immediat " available through state
authority and b" government organization
First. women could be organized Tor TINS
work. but to make them acceptable the gov
eminent would have to carry on campaign
Of propaganda among the farmers that WON
on can be used effectively as agricultural
laborers.
Second, there is in every one OF our cities
in the foreign district large group Of ooth
mon and women who were skilled agricultural
workers in Europe These foreigners could
be modified by our city governments and
sent to the country for few weeks. Inc Cd
hector will Immediately say that TINS Will dis
locat, industry in the city. Yes, but the dis
location would not be nearly so serious to the
welfare of the world as shortage Of food.
Third. the owners Of muniton factories
that are near agricultural districts and which
have drawn a large number of workers from
the farm might be persuaded. in view OF the
situation. TO close their works for one week
during seeding time. The objector will say
that we and the Allies need munitions. That
is true. but if the workers in the munition
nlants were refreshed by a week of outdoor
labor on the farms they would return to
their munition work capable of an output
that would soon cancer TIC Vhe iVS1.
Another source of labor power is in our
high schools. If we modified boys and girls
for a weeks or fortnght's service on the
farms we could get force, not trained, it is
true. but so intelligent that it could be very
readily put at simple operations.
The need is desperate. The agricultural
papers alone are rejecting the true situation.
The general press must wake the people and
the government TO the seriousness of the sit
nation. HARRIOT STANTON BLATCH.
New York, May 10, 1917.