The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1917-07-14
FOOD and war

Shortage In Raw Materials 0ives Rlse
TO Alarm Among Manufacturing In
tsrests-AmerIca Must Apply Every
Resource to Meet WORLDS Demand
for Food-Labor Saving Machines
and Man Power on the Farms Vital
Factors In EeoAomlc crlsis-Appeal
for Government Action.
Government action ensuring the
farmers of America ample supplies Of
farm implements and competent farm
labor is virtually necessary to this
country's future participation in the
war, declare the manufacturers of
farming tools and machinery In the
United States. This action must be i'm
mediate and radical, they say, or In
1918 the United States will fail to pro-
duce foodstuffs necessary to feed the
civil population of our allies and to
keep the allied armies in fighting trim.
This declaration is made In a public
statement by the National Implement
and Vehicle Association, whose MEM
bers manufacture most Of the farming
implements used In and exported from
the United States. 1t Is the Associa-
tiOn's answer to an anxious inquiry
about reports Of a prospective fmple-
ment shortage addressed to 1t In behalf
Of the country's farming interests by
Ex-Governor w. D. Hoard Of Wiscon-
sin, one Of the leaders Of American ag-
riculture and publisher Of Hoards
Dairyman. The statement, which is
signed by Charles 8. Birmingham.
Chairman Of the Associations Execu-
tive Committee, says:
Unless prompt action is taken BY
the Government. our country will make
the same mistakes that have result
ed In compelling our allies to ap-
peal to us to save them from famine.
Unless we protect the production Of
labor-saving farm machinery and the
supply Of skilled farm labor we, too,
must soon face a shrinkage Of food
supplies.
Without such action as Is here sug-
gested and urged, the farmers OF
the United States will not have enough
machines or men in 1913 to meet the
demands upon them.
I'VE are now confronted by shortages
Of raw material and factory labor that
will begin to be manifest in shortages
Of certain lines Of farm machinery this
fall and will result In serious shortages
In many vital lines next year. Stocks
on hand in important kinds Of tools
and machines are smaller than In nor
NAL years, because Of earlier scarcity
Of factory labor and rapidly tighten
ing scarcity Of all raw materials.
Farmers have deferred during the
last three years the replacing OF old
and badly worn tools and machines
Now, confronted by the practical Ger
tainty that the war Is to continue In
definitely, with attendant assurance ol
a heavy demand and high prices for all
their products, and by an inevitable
shortage Of farm labor, they cannot put
of longer replacements Of worn Ou
machines and the additions to equip
ment necessary to increase acreage
and production
1T Is also essential In meeting th<
demand Of the farmers for Implement
that there shall be preference In trans
portation for raw materials to the fac
tories and for finished goods from tn
factories to the farms.
"For the last ten years farm labo
has been more and more difficult T.
secure, and now with an enormous In
. crease In the demand for labor In mu
nitions factories, and the withdrawn
Of many young men from productiv
occupations, there Is bound to be
shortage Of farm labor such as TIL
country has never known. In Kansa
alone q vast number of fertile acres o.
which the wheat crop failed will IL
idle this summer, chiefly for lack Q
labor and partly through lack Of ms
chimes to replant to corn.
1--WE regard 1t as vital to keep on tn
farms the men now there who kno'
the business, especially the me
trained In the use Of labor-saving mi
chinery. 1t would be wasteful an
foolish to let them 60 and afterwar
try to replace them with unskilled mel
I'VE seek no advantage for our II
dustry over any other, but we reali7
and we want the public to realize th'
without this product and without su
ficient labor the farmers Of the Unite
States cannot increase or even mai
tain their production Of foodstuf1s ne.
year. To avert the calamity that SUI
condition will surely produce, our