Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-05-10
Nebraska
MUST DRAFT MEN
TO WORK ON FARMS
State Labor Department Esti-
mates Five Thousand More
Are Needed.
BYWAYs ARE BEING TITLED

Lincoln, Neb, May 9.-Five thou
sand men must volunteer or be drafted
for work in the harvest fields of Ne
braska this year, according to esti-
mates Of the state department OF la
Dor, which has received reports that
even now the seasonal shortage of
farm labor is being felt throughout the
state. George E. Norman, state la
Dor commissioner, and the state en-
ployment bureau, to whom farmers
are appealing for help in planting the
spring crops, have been able to find
less than ESQ men since January l
who will accept employment on the
farm. The state now is advertising in
the newspapers for farm laborers.
Reports Tell of Idle Men.
What makes the situation annoy
ing said Commissioner Norman, "are
reports from cities and towns all over
the state that large numbers of idle
men are there, ostensibly looking for
work.
Farm wages in Nebraska are rea-
sonably high, laborers being paid $35
a month, everything furnished. Later
when the harvest season is on the
wages will. be s., $3.50 and $3'a day"
Commissioner Norman has planned
for this summer a newspaper adver-
Using campaign for farm laborers as
the first of series of efforts by the
state to insure that crops are har-
vested.
Last year a number of wheat fields
were not harvested because laborers
could not be secured. At the same
time there were hundreds of idle men
in the state, a majority of whom were
conducting anti-work meetings under
the direction of the Industrial Work
ers of the World leaders. Every pre-
caution will be taken this year to pre-
vent repetition of such condition.
Nebraska's War Quota.
1t is estimated by state labor Off
Gals that Nebraska will furnish at
least 10000 men for the war. En-,
listments are increasing each day and
this adds to the farm labor prob
lem, for a large percentage of volun-
teers are from the farms. Selective
CONSUMPTION also will take its toll of
farm labor.
Prof. c. w. Pugsley, director Of the
agricultural extension service of the
University of Nebraska, has told
farmers that upon the farmer rests
the responsibility Of winning the war"
He has asked that every family "be-
come as nearly self-supporting as pos
sble; that every back yard, every va
cant lot, every waste place, be planted
to some food crop"
Twenty-six thousand acres of rail-
road right-of-way will be cultivated,
railroads having leased the land to
farmers at the nominal figure of 81
per year for each lease.
Conservative estimate place the
number of students who will be en-
ployed on farms at 5000. These will
go direct from school to their work
in the fields. Ordinarily this number
would relieve the acute labor short
age, but this year farmers must
reckon with the increasing number
of enlistments for war.
The state labor employment office
operates without charge to farmers
or applicants, and it is through this
agency farmers are expecting most as
sistance. In 1916 approximately 1000
men were placed on farms by this
Office.
Every effort we can make to sup
ply the need of farm labor will be
made" said Commissioner Norman
"The crops must be harvested, the
farmers must have help, and if there
are idle men in the state at harvest
time it will be our business to see that
help is supplied" /
To this end the commissioner of
Labor has correspondent with county
and town boards and city councils and
an attempt will be made to co-or-
dinate the efforts of all state and
civic authorities.