The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-11-22
WOULD DRAFT MEN
FOR FARM WORK
Bourse Says This Is Only Way
10 Prevent Food Famine
Next Year.
BOYS CANNOT DO THE WORK
Grown Men Needed, but Munitions
Plants Lure Them Away-Farmers
May Refuse to Plant Maxi
mum Crops.
-HarriSburg.

-HaTriSburB.
The Philadelphia bourse urges the
conscrlption of farm and general la
Dor In It's weekly statement. Unless
the government takes drastic action
before spring to insure farmers a sta
BILE labor supply and particularly suf-
ficient hands for harvest, the bourse
asserts, the food production of the
country next year and especially that
OF this section will be far below that
Of this year.
For the past six months the bourse
has been cooperating with the Unit
cd States employment service through
the emergency farm labor clearing
mouse established sy the federal serv-
Zee on the bourse floor, and its advo-
cacy of conscription is the result of a
survey Of the farm labor situation
made by officials of the bourse. The
statement says:
"While organized labor may by
voluntary efforts make conscription
in the shipbuilding and other war in
dustries unnecessary, 1t is certain
chat the government must take steps
without delay for the conscription of
farm and general labor and insure
farmers and other producers a sufIi-
cient supply of experienced hands for
next year. We believe that unless
the government acts before spring
farmers will refuse to plant the max
imum acreage asked by the food ad-
ministration.
Laborers Lured From Farms.
owe have been advised by farmers
of this section of the country who
this year did their bits in planting
to capacity that they will not do so
next spring without assurance from
the government that they will be
given sufficient labor for the harvest
ing. Despite high wages and charges
for fertilizer and other production
factors, they are willing to plant
maximum acreages again, but only
with the guarantee that they will be
given labor to harvest the crops. Too
many planted heavily last spring and
made heavy investments only to see
their extra crops rot upon the ground
in the summer and fall for lack of la
Dor. In the meantime the military
draft and high wages offered by the
shipbuilding, munition and other
plants and by the cantonment and
other government contractors not
only took away many Of their work.
ers, but depleted the small surplus, SO
that they were unable to harvest
crops in many instances.
"This depletion of the farm labor
supply is continuing. Eleven men
sent by the federal employment serv-
ice to New Jersey farmer last week
were Immediately snatched from him
for cantonment building, and these
IL were to replace skilled hands who
had been drafted. This case is typical
Of many others,
"Nearby Pennsylvania, New Jersey
and Delaware are especially suffering
because of the number of shipbuild-
ing, munition and other war plants
and army cantonments near by and
because the character of the farming
in this region requires for the most
part skilled farm hands.
"Many of those workers whom the
90 oh tot t,,i, r. 70
stay long in employment and leave
after making considerable sum by
few days work. This aggravates the
situation, as farmers frequently at
tempt more on the strength of the
employment of these additional men,
upon whom they rely for the compile
tion of the tasks concerned.
Must Have Adult Labor.
"The government must quickly per-
feet and put into operation scheme
whereby farmers will be assured that
their skilled hands will not be draft
ed for military service, whereby those
now employed will be made to con-
tinue-wages and living conditions,
of course. being fair and proper-in
service and whereby they will be as
sured that their help will not be TAX
IN from them by other industries at
time when it is most needed Agri-
culture should be placed upon basis
similar to the military, with supervi-
sion over the labor to insure its con-
tinuance on one hand and its fair
treatment by the farmer on the other.
"The allies and our own armies are
dependent upon our farmers for food,
und food production must be organ
ized as quickly and thoroughly as
possible. Our farmers are patriotic
enough"