The Era-leader., 1917-07-19

Resource to Meet Worlds Demand
for Food-Labor Saving maef1'hes
and Man Power on the Farms vita.
Factors in Economic Crisis-Appea'
for Government Action.
Government action ensurlnS lhe
farmers of America ample supplies OF
farm implements and competent farm
labor is virtually necessary to TINS
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 III
1918 the United States will fail to pro-
duce foodstuf'S necessary to fced the
civil population Of our allies ana 10
keep the allied armies in lighting TRIM
This declaration IS made in a pubic
statement by the National Implement
and Vehicle Association, whose l'iein'
hers manufacture most Of the farming
implements used in and exported from
the United States. 1t IS the Assocla-
tion's answer to an anxious inquiry
about reports Of q prospective impe.
ment shortage addressed to It IN behalf
Of the country's farming interests py
y.Governor w. D. Hoard Of Wlscon'
sin, one Of the leaders Of American ag-
riculture and publisher Of Hoards
Dairyman. The statement when Is
signed by Charles S. Birmingham,
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-s saving farm machinery and the
supply of skilled farm labor we, too,
must soon face Shrinkage OF tOod
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 1913 to meet the
, demands upon them.
"We are now confronted by shortages
of raw material and factory labor that
will begin to be manifest in shortages
J 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
t and machines are smaller than in nor
+ nal years, because Of earlier scarcity
of factory labor and rapidly tighten
Il ing scarcity of all raw materials.
t Farmers have deferred during the
last three years the replacing OF Old
and badly worn tools and machines
= Now, confronted by the practical GER
J. tainty that the war IS to continue In
4 definitely, with attendant assurance OF
q 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 ou
machines and the additions to equip
- ment necessary to increase acreage
i and production.
"It is also essential in meeting the
demand of the farmers for implements
= that there shall be preference in trans
f portation for raw materials to the rae
tories and for finished goods from tht
factories to the farms.
d "For the last ten years farm laDOl
y has been more and more difficult tt
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
J occupations, there is bound to be
shortage of farm labor such as thi
country has never known. In kansa
alone a vast number Of fertile acres OF
+ which the wheat crop failed Will II
il, idle this summer, chiefly for lack 0
IN labor and partly through lack of ma
ed chimes to replant to corn.
IN 1--WE regard 1t as vital to keep on tn
farms the men now there who knoN
g the business, especially the me
= trained in the use Of labor-saving me
~ chinery. 1t would be wasteful an
foolish to let them 60 and afterWar
VI try to replace them with unskilled mel
TX "We seek no advantage for our IL
nd dustry over any other, but we realiz
and we want the public to realize thu
20 without this product and without su
so ficient labor the farmers of the Unite
IA States cannot increase or even mali
10 tain their production of foodstuffs ne1
oc year. To avert the calamity that sue
w a condition will surely produce, our ii
nv dustry and the farming industry whic
40 1t chiefly supports must be put upo
90 the same preferred basis as the makir
of war munitions, even if other le:
80 vital industries suffer thereby for N
90 terials and men.
q '"These are the measures that we d
.iH clare to be vital to the feeding Of th
49,, nation and its allies next year:
49, II. That the manufacture Of far
10 materials be given equal preferen'
vi with the manufacture of war nun