Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1917-11-28
FARM LABOR TO BE
PlANTlFUl NEXT YEAR

SPRlNGFlELD, ILL.,. Nov. 2S.-That
there will be no shortage of farm labor
next year, despite the drafting of
thousands of the farm hands into
military service. is the prediction here
OF William II. Young, OF Urbana, Ill.
Mr.. Young is the federal farm la.
Dor representative of the Farm Con.
gress Bureau at Washington in H.
linois. Indiana, Ohio and Missouri.
He is on a tour of investigation of
the four states. probing the needs of
the agriculturists.
The object of the bureau, primar-
lily. Mr.. Young says, is to provide
farm labor for the cultivation and
| harvesting of next years crops. They
are working in cooperation with
every labor organization in the coun.
| try. In this connection, he declares,
! splendid coordination prevails. Farm
ers binding themselves handicapped
for help next year. he said, should
appeal TO the bureau. instead of the
state labor and employment agencies.
II is hoped before the season begins
next year enough men will have been
registered to provide the demand
The congress will work in conjunc,
ton with every county agent in the
United States whose party duty is TO
secure farm labor in their respective
communities.
II is a patriotic movement, desig-
mated 10 help the government in it's
present emergency.
THE farmer and the laborer alike
will be protected in the matter of
prices paid for help" Mr.. Young says.
while we have no direct power to
establish fixed wage scale, we hope
to produce feeling of harmony be
tween both the emplOye and the EN-
ployer in this respect. II possible.
we do not propose to permit the
workers being underpaid, nor allow
the workers charging excessive rates
for help.
AN instance in this respect can be
noted from our first efforts in work
ing out the plan in Champaign Coun.
~ in Illinois. A number OF farm
hands. who had heard the farmers
in that vicinity were paying unusual.
~ high prices for help, arrived in
the county during the corn husking
season. on demanding from ten to
fifteen cents bushcl from the farm.
rrs. tn" services Of the laborcrs were
rejected Forming small clique
they stood firm, declaring the crops
would 20 to waste before they would
work for less.
"Rctaliating the farmers them
selves got together in an 'ostraciza
ton meeting The county adviser
!. was called on. He in turn notified
! our bureau. Within short time Al
I available number of men We're sen
!. to Champaign, who were more thar
!: glad and willing 10 accept the prot
/ fcrcd price Of from five to six cent.
a bushel offered by the land owners
"A good farm hand working fol
five cents a bushel can easily max,
from five TO six dollars day Whcr
{ it is considered board and lodging
are furnished additional it hardly
seems reasonable to demand trebl,
: the amount.
{ The Champaign incident is tn,
I only report we have Of Illinois farm
! workers attempting to force the pric,
OF the average agriculturst. In Chris
! tian, Sangamon. MaCoupin. MontEOm
cry and many other central Illinoi!
! counties the five and six-Cont figur,
= is accepted without dispute"
Plans for further outlining tn,
p work Of the congress were formulate,
: at a meeting recently held in ST
Louis. Mo. +. V Wilcox, head of tn,
bureau. was in conference with all o
his aides at the meeting. at which
4 reports uf progress in the worl
| We're made.