The Detroit times., 1917-04-12
SAY STATE
MUST RAISE
MORE FOOD
Sleeper Holds Farm
Preparedness
Conference
SITUATION is
THOUGHT SERIOUS
Nation Menaced By
Actual Famine Unless
Men Till Soil


LANSING. April 12.-Fsrmers and
business men from practically every
section OF the state are here. In re-
Spouse 70 invitations extended by
Gov. Sleeper. to confer relative TO
the methods to be pursued TO slim
uiate interest In farm production a.
one OF Michigaa's most important
war measures.
The conference opened in the
Lansing Chamber OF Commerce
building and was presided over by
Gov. Sleeper. who declared the peo.
pie did not realize how serious Is
the food situation. not only in the
United States. but more directly
right here az home. He said the
best war help the people can give
nov Is to plan carefully TO plant
every foot OF available land. and
NAV IN btNFl AhhN Inv AmRolAhnA
work may proceed uninterruptedly.
a farm advisory board should be es-
tablished to supervise and encour>
age the farm seeding
Plans outlined at the conference,
which in all probability will be
adopted. embody:
4 farm advisory board to work
for large acreage OF crops.
Careful saving on every hand 70
make the old stock on hand 60 az
far as possible until the new crops
are harvested.
Curtailment OF expenditures, both
by the individual and the state. ex-
cept 20 meet actual needs.
ENCOURAGEMENT OF laboring men TO
90 back 20 the farms TO aid in plant
ing and harvesting the crops.
Cut Of all state and county work
wherever possible 10 turn back to
the farms thousands OF workers who
would be otherwise employed In
labor that can be dispensed with
temporarily.
Already. the state has rnads q
start in carrying out some Of these
plans and as sonn as the farm al
ylaofsl board is organised. con
oerted action will be inaugurated to
start the whole farm preparedness
machinery
James Hammeli, OF Lansing, state
factory inspector. was the nrst
farm preparedness missionary sent
out and he IL now In Jackson max
inE a survey Of the labor situation
with view 10 Inducing workers to
leave the city for the farms He
wiil visit Battle Greek. Grand Rap
ids and Saginaw on the same mis-
sion
HAmmell will put the question
rguArely up 10 the workers-go
back 10 the farms or take a chance
On going hungry next year.
James n. Mcbride. state market
director. has been charged with the
duty OF seeing that there ls q eoun-
~ farm agent engaged for every
county In the state. Already, he
has laid his lines and is az work
encouraging boards OF supervisors
20 Al their May meeting put expert.
enced farm men NJ work showing
others how 10 raise oonntiful
crop
The people do not know Just how
serious the situation IL" said Nc
Bride. For months we have been
scraping the grain bins, nguratively
speaking. and the meat situation is
no better. There 10 no fodder and
consequently the stock In going to
ne market this year instead OF next.
There must be more crops, then,
produced this year TO help out on
what will be a very short meat mar.
ket next year
The whole thing In a nut shell IL
the farmers must have the labor
with which 10 work the farms II
they cannot get labor. and II labor
positively refuses 10 60 to the
farms. then these farm board CON
ferences will amount TO very little.
We must all work together 70 in
duce labor to take its place az the
pillow.
We can do more for Europe and
for ourselves II we do not send q
man to the battle front but instead
send a small army back to the
farms"
Plans that Will be discussed also
smbody provisions for directing the
marketing and distribution OF the
crops following the harvest. n nee
essAry. laws should be enacted. II
is said. giving the market director
almost dictatorial powers a. 20 hus-
banding foodstuffs for home con-
sumption.