Evening star., 1917-10-21
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT Is DOING


Farm Labor ment of Agriculture. is
~, in considerable measure
o"AoAAs' a matter Of efficiency in
the use of farm machinery. Man labor
Is scarce. The lack must be made up
largely by better utilization Of men.
horses and tractors now on farms.
There are three important ways. the
experts point out, in which our more
efficient farmers improve on traditional
methods OF using labor for field opera
tions. namely. % they increase the
horsepower per man by increasing the
size OF teams: (2) they increase the
area anhs,t,",; covered per man and per team by
SUBSTITUTING larger sized implements
,or smaller ones. and {3) they increase
the area covered in n given time by
increasing the size Of fields.
10 increase horsepower per man the
farmer merely drives three horse team.
"nere oe1ore he drove but two horses or
q 1our.horse or ffve-horse team instead
oL tnfee-horse team. This is perha ps
one simplest expedient it is urged. for In
oreasnhE ere @ - labor effciency on the farm. and
one which is already very generally prac-
.lced oy our farmers. Where horse labor
- abundant and man labor scarce. dou-
onhg up teams effects a material saving
al sixs saoSr 20 even without any increase in the
rne iarge team works more easily and
more rapidly than a smaller one,
When the doubling OF teams il accom-
panied pia by the Introduction Of larger i'm
ana OF time is effected. For example. one
man with two-row cultivator will Gull
uVate twice the crop area per day COW
. enea oy the man with one-row cultlva-
.or. Ihus. too. under favorable condi-
tions. an eight foot mower or binder will
cover much more ground in a day than
viii six-foot machine. Similar econ
omles may be effected with other ma
Fumes; th "nere small-siEed Implements are
chinss cost but little more than tha
smaller ones: indeed. the difference is
SO small that one seasons saving in
MAJ, man iaoor through the use Of big ma
chine will often pay the excess in cost
over that OF one OF the smaller size.
Resort to the third expedient, 1t is sue-
gested. fer increasing labor efficiency in
sela operations. namely. enlarging fields,
depends In great measure on the lay Of
the land. Where the land Is level or roll
Ing. and two adjoining fields to be plow-
ca can be plowed as one II a fence be-
tween Is removed. 1t is often worth while
to tear away the fence and throw the two
fields into one
Farm management studies by experts
OF the department have shown that the
size OF q farm is the controlling factor
as regards efficiency in the use OF human
labor. horse labor and machinery on
farms. That is to say. other things beins
equal. the larger the farm the more crop
acres worked per man. 1t is not possible
increase the size OF his farm at will to
meet an emergency. but many will flnd
1t possible to gain at once a measure of
the advantage OF a large farm by making
their fields as large and as few in num-
Der as is possible under the conditions of
topography and rotation.
The greatest interest exists, quite
naturally. throughout the country in
the various branches OF the
Engineer Army. as we'll as the Navy
o.. Perhaps there Is as much
A 'A~e' or even more. interest man
tested in the engineer regiments As in
other branches of the service. There
seems to be much misunderstanding
about Joining these regiments, and es-
pecially the Engineer Officers Reserve
Corps.
Special camps OF Army engineers have
been established by the government
and to these $50 men have been sent
from each camp. No applications from
will be considered. though men may be
sent to them from the number Of those
already commissioned.
The general nature Of the work Of the
Engineer Corps Is quite we'll known
1t may be stated that many Of the Of
f1cers will be engaged upon construc-
tion work in France between the sea-
port and the Armys sphere of opera
ton. Some reserve engineer officers
have been assigned to duty under the
quartermaster's department for the
construction Of cahtonments Others
will officer the nine regiments now be-
ing or already organized as part Of the
National Army for railroad construc-
tion and operation. Still others will
officer the regiment Of woodsmen and
mill workers now being organized FOR
work in France as part Of the National
Army.
Men in the Engineer Officers' Reserve
Corps may be divided into two classes:
Class A. men who will be used for
service at the front. First and second
lieutenants. They must have active
practice ta) In the engineering profess
sion or some business Immediately con-
nected with or concerned In engineer
ing matters; (b). they must either hold
or have qualified for the grade Of Junior
engineer. electrical Or mechanical or
higher grade in the civil service, or
must be graduate from An approved
engineering college or have been in the
above practice of engineering at least
two years.
The captains must have similar quail
f1cations. as Just stated for the lieu
tenants, except that men of more ex-
perience and knowledge. and with a
knowledge Of the principles Of military
organization and operations are re-
qured.
Glass B. engineer reserve officers re-
quired for special services. Candidates
must be qualified for at least one Of the
following duties as provided for in the
Army regulations:
The duties OF the Corps of Engineers
comprise accommodating and surveying
for military purposes. including the
laying out Of camps: selection OF sites
and formation of plans and estimates
Tor military defenses: construction and
repairs of fortifications and their ac-
cessories; - the installation Of cleo
trio power plants and electric cable con-
nected with seacoast batteries. sss In
time OF war within the theater of opera
tions 1t has charge of the location, de-
sign and construction of wharves and
landings. storehouses. hospitals and
ofher structures of general interest, and
OF the construction. maintenance and
repair of roads. ferries, bridges and in
cidental structures. and of the construc-
ton, maintenance and operation of rail-
the construction and operation of armed
trains"
Figures of Colorado mine production
for the first six months of this year
indicate, according to ex-
Colorado perts OF the geological
,r.,- survey, an increased pro-
oA"AS' duction of silver, lead and
copper, but a decrease in gold and zinc