The Parker post., 1917-07-21

for Food-Labor Saving Machines
and Man Power on the Farms Vital
Factors in Economic Crisis-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 Inn
mediate and radical, they say, or in
1913 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 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-
lions answer to an anxious inquiry
about reports of prospective imple-
ment shortage addressed to it in behalf
Of the cOuntry's farming interests by
Ex-Governor w. D. Hoard of Wiscon-
sin, one Of tine leaders Of American ag-
riculture and publisher of Hoard's
Dairyman. The statement, which is
signed by Charles S. Brantingham,
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 1918 to meet the
demands upon them.
1--WE 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
tatnty that the war Is to continue in
definitely, with attendant assurance of
a heavy demand and high prices for all
their products, and by an inevitable |
shortage Of farm labor, they cannot put |
off longer requirements Of worn out |
machines and the additions to equip |
ment necessary to increase acreage
and production.
1T is also essential In meeting the
demand Of the farmers for implements
that there shall be preference in trans
portation for raw materials to the fac
tories and for finished goods from the
factories to the farms.
For the last ten years farm labor |
has been more and more difficult to
secure, and now with an enormous in
crease in the demand for labor in mu-
nitions factories, and the withdrawal
Of many young men from productive |
occupations, there is bound to be a
shortage of farm labor such as this
country has never known. In Kansas
alone vast number Of fertile acres on
which the wheat crop failed will lie
idle this summer, chiefly for lack Of
labor and partly through lack Of ma
chimes to replant to corn.
'We regard it as vital to keep on the |
farms the men now there who know |
the business, especially the men
trained in the use of labor saving ma |
chinery. 1t would be wasteful and
foolish to let them go and afterward
try to replace them with unskilled men.
"We seek no advantage for our in
dustry over any other, but we realize
and we want the public to realize that |
without this product and without suf
ticient 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
a condition will surely produce, our In
dustry and the farming industry which |
it chiefly supports must be put upon |
the same preferred basis as the making |
of war munitions, even if 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 it's allies next year:
81. That the manufacture of farm
materials be given equal preference |
with the manufacture Of war muni- |
tons as regards supplies Of necessary
raw materials.
"2. That service to the country In
farm machinery factories be consid. |
cred of equal Importance with service |