Perth Amboy evening news., 1917-03-30
THE FOOD PROBLEM


In connection with the conserva-
ton of food products and intensified
farming that is being urged upon
the country at this time, q letter sent
to Senator Frelinghuysen by the firm
of Potts & Kaufman, of this city, is
of unusual interest. The letter offers
q suggestion that ought to have seri-
Gus consideration. There is reason
to believe that if the general idea is
carried out much will be accomplish
ed in aiding the farmers increase
their crops.
The Idea suggested in the letter
sent to the senator by the local firm
Is that in every locality where there
Is a public school the boys averaging
from fourteen to eighteen years of
age offer their services to the farmers
for certnfn Remuneration. It is a
well known fact that the farms are
very short-handed. Many of the
farmhands have gone to work In the
munition factories where the pay Is
large. The result Is there is great
amount of waste on the farms be-
cause of the inability of the farmer
to properly plant and harvest his
crops.
In these days of shortage in food
products this waste must be eliminat-
ed. BY the school boys offering their
services at a reasonable wage, the
farm help problem is in a fair way Of
being solved. At the same time, the
boys would have valuable lesson in
thrift and a training in agriculture
that would be of inestimable value
to them. They would be engaged in
the most healthful of pursuits and
would have the satisfaction of know
ting that they are doing their bit for
their country. 1t Is recognized that
the man with the hoe and the man In
The field is as necessary for the sue
aessful carrying on of war as Is the
man with the rifle and the man in
t0t uuHitiOh
In all the European countries spe-
cial efforts are being made to In
crease the crops this season. The
governments are giving almost ss
much attention to the proper cultiva-
fion of the land and the harvesting Of
the crops as they are to the plan of
campaign on the battlefield.
Every school boy is bubbling over
with patriotism these days. and IS
anxious to do his bit for his country.
Here is his opportunity. The diff
Guilty will be in making the boy real
ize that he Is actually doing some
thing for his country in volunteering
for farm duty. Working on a farm
seems so commonplace as compared
with the excitement of the battlefield
that the average youngster will BE
inclined to ridicule such a proposi-
tion. But If the government itself.
through the Agricultural Department,
takes hold of the matter and en-
phasizes the Importance of farming.
the boys are apt to take an entirely
different view of the matter.
The attention of Senator Freling-
huysen has been called to the fact
that future prices of canned goods
are uncertain. and that fifty per cent.
of the Gamers have already with
drawn their products waiting until
the packing season, thus showing n
timidity to quote prices irrespective
of the acreage in crops. The fear Is
not so much the crops as 1t Is the
labor to harvest them. Should there
be large crop and few men to
harvest it there will be an enormous
waste which will increase the cost
With the school boys volunteering to
Aid the farmers the food question for
the next season may be solved.
The suggestion of the local firm
seems good. 1t is to be hoped the
government will see some way of
taking advantage Of It. The food