Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1917-12-20
THORNTON N. BARcock.

d I'd
THORNTON m. BARcock.
Thornton N. Babcock, practical
farmer of Fuller township, breeder OF
Shorthorn cattle and other full-b
ed stock. endorses the proposition to
draft labor for farming.
Il want to commend the editor OF
The Saturday News he said Friday
afternoon, having already received his
copy of the paper through the rural
carried service, ''for the loyal, out
spoken and progressive ideas adyanc-
ed in the last edition of the paper
through the editorial on Drafting La
Dor for Farm Work Imperative for
Winning the War
Out of the maze of theories for
conservation and appeals for increas,
| ing production, it stands in a class
by itself. according to my view. It is
far superior to any other suggestion
THAT has come to my notice. can 30
farther and say that no other plan for
simplicity and practicability even ap-
lproaches it in Feasibility iiicreas-
ing the production Of grains and sta
Bile crops, so needful for sustaining
eur American boys on the firing lines
lin Europe and SO necessary for the
winning of this greatest of all wars.
.eThe key to the solution of the
| farm labor problem for The balance
of the war is thus plainly laid before
us so plainly, indeed, as to require
no further elaboration. only the de-
tails remaining to be worked out.
ITO add to the emphasis which you
place on the danger of decreased
production unless some adequate plan
/ is evolved for supplying this fast de
creasing labor, let me say that if !
should lose the services of my farm
assistant, as am likely to do since
| he is subject to call within the near
future under the draft, would GER
tinly be compelled to reduce my titled
acreage unless other help could be
quickly procured, for it would be
physically impossible for me to con.
tinue to care for my present acreage
with less labor than / now employ.
And personally know of hundreds
OF farmers who are similarly situated.
All UP and down the land, throughout
the agricultural regions in which the
growing of crops forms the chief ele-
ment of industry, as is the case in the
Dakotas, the labor problem is becom-
ling a source Of grave apprehension.
Experience shows that a man ac
customed to farm work is more val
liable as farm hand than two mex.
perienced men in fact, would give
more for the services Of one good,
all-round farm man in an emergency
like q harvest period than for that OF
four average city-bred men. This is
no reflection upon the character or
ability Of the boys reared in cities, for
! suppose that one experienced clerk
or bookkeeper in the average business
house is worth more to his employer
than half dozen farm experts who
know nothing about clerical work or
bookkeeping
think the exigencies of the sit
uation justify the conclusion that all
experienced farm boys should be re-
served for farm employment, whether
+ or not they are the heads OF fam
lilies. II the single men who are IA
miliar with farming are all to be TAX
en- away from the farras simply be.
cause they do not happen to have
relatives depending upon them fol-
support, it will operate to reduce pro
lduction, In spite Of all well directed
efforts to the contrary. Ny man, foI
instance, has no family or other de.
Ipendents, but nevertheless, his going
would compel me to reduce my CROP
acreage II another could net be found
| to take his place and with the great
demand throughout the country fol
farm labor the outlook for replacing
him is assuredly not promising It ia