The Holt County sentinel. (Oregon, Mo.) 1883-1980, 1917-07-20

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 IL made Ia u public
statement by the National Implement
md Vehicle Association. whose mem
hers manufacture most of the farming
implements used In aud exported from
the United States. II l. the Associa.
lions answer Ia an anxious Inquiry
about reports Of prospective nipple.
ment shortage addressed to II In behalf
81 the country's farming interests by
Ex-Governor W. u. Hoard Of Wiscon.
sin, one Of the leaders of American az.
riculturc aud publisher Of IIuuri's
Dulrymnn. The statement. which Is
signed by Charles \. Birmingham.
Chairman Of the Associations Execu-
tive Committee. suys:
Unless prompt action Il taken by
the Government, our country will make
the same mistakes that have result.
cd In compelling our allies to ap-
peal 20 Us to save them from famine.
Unless we protect the production "
lnbor.saying farm machinery and the
supply of skilled fnrm labor We. too,
must soon fncc n shrlnkngc of food
supplies.
Without such action rs IL here sug.
gested and urged. the farmers Of
the United States will not have enough
machines or men Ia 1915 to meet the
demands upon them.
eve ARE now confronted by shortages
Of raw material aud factory labor that
Will begin to he manifest In shortages
81 certain lines II farm machinery this
fall nnd viii result IN SERIOUS shortages
In many vital lines next year. Stocks
an hand IN Important kinds IL tools
nnd machines urc SMALLER thnn In nor.
innl years. hccn,iSc of earlier scarcity
~ factory lnl,or und n rapidly tighten.
Ing scarcity VI all raw materials.
Farmers have deferred during the
'oF' w WV
and bndly worn tools md machines.
New. confronted hy the practical Ger.
\ tninty that the wnr ~ Ia continue In.
definitely. with attendant assurance ~
u heavy demand and high prices for nll
their products. nmi by mn Inevitable
shortage ~ farm labor. they cannot put
OH longer requirements ~ worn cut
machines and the additions to equip.
ment necessary to Increase acreage
and production.
1T Il also essential IN meeting the
demand of the farmers for implements
that there shall be preference In trans.
portntion for raw materials 10 the fnc.
tories and for finished goods from the
factories "a the firms.
"for the last ten years farm Libor
Inns been more and more difficult to
secure, and now with IN enormous In.
crease In the demand for lnbor IN m,i.
! millions factories, and the withdrawal
~ many young men from productive
occupations, there u bound to he u
shortage ~ farm labor such ny this
country has never known. IL Kansas
: alone n vnst number Of fertile ncrcs on
which the wheat crop failed viii lie
Idle this summer. chiefly for luck ~
lnbor nnd partly through lack Of na.
chimes 10 replant To corn.
1--WE regard It ns vital to keep on the
fnrms the men now there who know
the business, especially the men
trained In the use Of labor-snying ma
chincry. II would be wasteful and
foolish 10 let them 90 and nfterward
try Ia replace them with unskllled men.
ave seek no advantage for our In.
dustry over nny other, but We realize
and We want the public to realize that
without this product aud without suf-
hcient labor the farmers OF the United
States cannot Increase or even main.
tain their production Of fOOdstuffs next
year. To avert the calamity that such
q condition will surely produce, our In.
dustry and the farming Industry which
II chiefly supports must be put upon
the same preferred basis as the making
| OF war munitions, even II other less
vital industries suffer thereby for ma.
terials and men.
"These are the measures that we de.
clare to be vital to the feeding OF this
nation and Its allies next year:
II. That the manufacture Of farm
materials be given equal preference
with the manufacture OF war NUM-
tons as regards supplies Of necessary
raw materials.
~. That service to the country In