The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-29
LACK Of FARM LABOR
HAhO|CAPS SOUTH
situation is Serious In View of Food
Problems Facing
Country.

The world is facing famine con-
ditions" this is the unpleasant news
that confronts us in every newspaper
we read. The power and influence OF
the national government, the state
governments and even the city gov
ernments. are being used to induce
every one to raise more foodStuf and
to be saving in the consumption OF
every article of food value.
We believe the people OF the whole
country are fully alive to the vital tfn-
portance of the question of food sup
piy--it effects every phase of military.
commercial and domestic ltfe-not
alone in our own country but of our
allies fighting the battles of freedom
in foreign lands Thus we have not
to think of ourselves only hut OF
practically half the civilized world 1t
is great responsibility, but 1t IS
placed upon the muscle, mind and
hearts of a great people OF u great ma
ton, There can be no question or
doubt that we will measure up to every
requirement. but many days. yea, many
years OF individual and cooperative
work and sacrifice ahead of all the
people. none can be permitted to be
drones and shirkers in this beehive
of industry. To depend on volunteers
is to invite defeat before we start; it
would be equally sensible to depend
on financing the great undertaking by
depending on volunteer taxation The
ational government should have
power TO assign every able-hodied man
to specific duty and enforce his per-
forming that duty. The women Of our
country. God bless them, can always
be counted on to do their full duty in
any emergency without being COM
PEELED by law. The call of want and
suffering has always been sufficient
! incentive to being the noble women to
the rescue. They are gentle and unin-
trusive in time OF peace. but when
dangers alarm Is sounded, when
mems souls are stirred By battle cry
and labor stroke" and when the shirk-
/ ing coward seeks the boomproof and
the tall grass the women rush TO the
front and do their bit. Even now the
women are forming their garden clubs
and canning clubs and thousands or
/ them are planting and cultivating
their gardens and later will preserve
the surplus food, thus in a small way
relieving famine conditions.
Z In our Southland we are suffering
/ for lack Of farm labor. vet on every
hand we see the ioafer and idler, both
! white and Colored whom the army
does not want and who will not, Of
/ their own iniative, do stroke of work
but live and thrive on the labor of
others Many of them live by their
/ wits. by hook and by crook and are
menace to society and a burden to. the
state. others are too lazy 10 steal but
not too conscientious to live off the
wages Of wife mother or sister We
realize farmers do not want such farm
help yet. what is to be done with
them? They should not be permitted
10 consume without producing; they
should not be permitted TO hang on
like barnacIes TO the hull of the ship
OF state" .retarding the general pro-
gress Of the nation
Farmers are called upon 10 eulti-
vata more acres. plant more foodstuff.
but they answer. how can we do this
when we have not the labor TO culti-
Vate even small acreage. We be-
hAve more labor can be attracted to
the farms if higher wages are paid
and the farmer must recognize that
the higher prices he is receiving for
his product 'ustifies his paving more
wages the factories railroads and
business concerns are forced to- par
more for help because of the demand
coupled with the high cost of living
and the farmer must meet this coH-
petition or else see at! farm labor
desert the country and flock to tha
cities. 49,
In the American Locomotive COM
panY there are employed 5000 men
making shells for the allies; they paw
high wages and in consequence 1000
of the 5000 men are farmers. men
who twelve months ago We're blowing.
seeding and cultivating Who are to-
take their places" The owners and
operators of farms must offer higher
, wages TO induce them to come back.
Anyway a higher scale of farm wages
/ those "A