The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1917-06-18
NORTHWEST TO
need HELP FOR
HARVEST time
Increased Acreage And
Promised Big Crops Will
Create Demand
WINTER WHEAT
STATES SUPPLIED
Failure of Crop Leaves the
Home Supply of Labor
Plenty for Needs
fRx Associated Prassn

a1
Chicago, June 1s.-Failure of the
winter wheat crops and increased acre
age and indicated bountiful yields In
the spring wheat belt, have combined to
produce unique conditions in the sum.
mer labor markets OF the plains states.
Not until Minnesota, the Dakotas and
Montana begin late in July to har-
vest what have been predicted as the
biggest crops In their history, will there
be demand that communities other
than those In touch with the fields
send helpers to the farmers. Hitherto
the Macedonian cry has been heard
two months earlier.
kansas will be able to handle its
harvest this year with men coming
from states that surround us. It will
be folly for anyone to come from east
or the Mississippi" says the labor bull
lettn Of the Kansas department Of labor
and industry.
Nebraska will not need any out
side help now or~in the wheat harvest" i,
says Prof. e. L. Rhoads of the federal
department Of agriculture, who is han
ding the labor question in that state.
I'VE are short less than fifty men and
they are needed to cultivate corn"
Northwest Will Need Men.
Contrasted to this picture are re-
ports from the northwest. State and
federal officials in touch with the situa-
ton are unanimous in predicting real
need for harvest hands when the spring
wheat reaches maturity. Only hail or
blights or similar calamity to the fields
can stand in the way of the fulfillment
Of these forecasts, it is said.
A survey Of the situation in the chief
wheat producing states follows:
Kansas-Harvesting begins June 25
to July 20. The wheat crop is the
smallest in years. Reports to the
state department of Labor and Indus
try indicate that only 1900 men will
be needed in the fields, this number
being about one-flfth Of the army gen.
orally wanted in Kansas. Prospective
harvest hands are warned not to pay
fees to private labor agencies but to
communicate with the state or federal
free employment bureaus.
NebraSka-No outside help needed at
all. Only ten per cent of the winter
wheat that was seeded is surviving and
estimates Of the crop vary from 3,000,- :,
900 to 100000 bushels as against Co.
100000 in 1916.
Winter Wheat is Failure.
IIlinois-No outside help needed,
Winter wheat in southern counties is
practically failure, and the state will
be able to take care Of it's own corn
ana SpT1n6 WH0dI ndENGSpSs
Iowa--Not important as a wheat
state but if there is a decrease in that
cereal, it will be compensated for by
the increased demands for labor from
corn farmers. Ambrose L. Urick,
state labor commissioner, points out
that corn crops are not rushed in har-
vest as is, wheat and expects no great
difficulty in finding the necessary men.
North Dakota-Survey of the state
with reference to crop and labor con-
ditions is being made by Robert ].
Leth, of the federal department of ag-
ricuIture. He already has found pros
poets of a much larger crop than last
year, with subsequent greater demand
for labor.
Minnesota-Fred d. Sherman, state
immigration commissioner, says the
demand for labor will be greater than
can be filed locally. He has report
ers in every county and because Of the
increased acreage predicts the largest
wheat crop In the history Of the state.
High school boys, to be sent out to
work on the farms, will help "a little
he says.