The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-04-26
FARMERS ON
MILITARY BASIS
Secretary Of Agriculture Urges
State to Prepare for Ma.
tional Protection.
COLONEL TO EACH COUNTY
Foremen Would Rank as corporaIs,
and Companies Would Number Fifty
Laborers-ProposaI That Farm
lnu Be Done on Shares.
Harrisburg.


Harrisburg
The idea OF organizing farmers on
military basis, OF creating an agricul
tural army along the lines Of England's
Industrial army, was outlined here by
Charles e. Patton, State Secretary OF
Agriculture, as a means Cof securing an
increased food production, better dis
tributlon Of labor, economical handling
OF seed, supplies and other matters TO
gether with systematic harvesting ano
shipping at the end of the season.
A statement issued at the Capitol
says that the national Department OF
Agriculture will ask Congress TO au
thorize the formation OF an organiza
tion along this line. "The members
OF this organization" the statement
adds, +" will receive the same recogni'
tlon as those persons who enlist Tor
service at the front. It is just as pa
triotic to enlist in the agricultural
army to help raise the needed food for
the army and for the people at home
as It Is to 20 to the front"
The plan suggested is for township
agricultural organizations with cap
tain. who would be a business man.
and organize the farmers and the WORK
needed according to the demands Tor
foodstuffs and the specially OF the dis
trict in the way of production. There
also would be q lieutenant, four SER
geants, 10 corporals and SO privates.
The non-commissioned officers would
have charge OF the men who enlist for
work and would distribute them TO
farms from which requests for help
come, the sergeants having certain ter
ritory and the corporals being the fore
men.
Through the captain, 1t is stated,
plans can be made for the taking over
OF farms on a half-share basis or for
furnishing OF labor at specified rates.
Arrangements are also suggested for
the gathering and sale OF crops and
the purchase OF machinery.
The township companies, It is sug.
gested, should be organized into coun-
ty organization headed by some promi'
nent citizen to rank as colonel, and to
have a staff whose business II would
be to see that the proper details are
made from each township and distri'
buted so as to do the most good. Con-
tinuing, the statement says:
"The enlistment can include men
over the military age, boys from IA to
10 years old and men who are unable,
on account OF some slight physical In
capacity, to enter the army or navy
ranks"
Secretary Patton has requested that
details of organizations effected be
sent to the Capitol and has asked bank
ers, business men and others to unite
with farmers so that the men neces-
sary to raise the crops can be secured.
Governor Brumbaugh appointed G..
F. Preston as chairman OF the Commit.
tee OH Mobilization of the Agricultural
Industries OF Pennsylvania for Cheste.
County; Clarence S. Kates, vice-chair.
man, and Colonel F. M. Holden aud
w. w. Ridgeway as the third and
fourth members OF the committee, re-
spectively, whose functions the Cover.
nor said are to be duplicated under the
farm bureau system in every county
in the State.
The Governor received Mr. Preston,
who is charge Of the Chester County
Farm Bureau under the auspices Of
the Pennsylvania State College and the
Bureau of Plant Industry o. the United
States Department Of Agriculture. A
list OF fifty.nine names of men whom
he has approved to act as chairmen will
meet to ascertain from every farmer
OF their respective townships his pre-
else needs respecting farm labor, ma
chinery, seeds, fertilizers and avail.
able acreage for the planting Of the
largest crops In the history of Chests.
County.
Governor Brumbaugh approved the
recommendations Of the delegates of
the Chester County farmers, whom he
saw at the State Capitol, that the
schools and colleges of the entire state
be closed during April In order to aid
the mobilization on the farms and gar
dens of the state Of hundreds of thou.
sands Of pupils.
Further, the Governor approved the
enrolment in the service of the United
States Of an agricultural division Of
the industrial army" consisting of
farm operators, their sons engaged in
farming and other farm labor, this en-.
rollment to serve in lieu of military en-.
lstment.