The Little River news. (Ashdown, Little River County, Ark.) 1897-current, 1917-08-18
USE MORE FARM MACHINERY
Implement Dealers to Hold Special
Meeting Because OF Labor Shortage

Meeting Because OF Labor shortage
little Rock, Aug 15-To plan
statewide campaign for the use OF
modern farm machinery and labor-saV-
ing deViceS-a campaign made neceS-
sary by the acute statewide labor
shortaga-a special meeting of the Ar
kansas Retail Hardware Dealers AS
ISOLATION will be held at the Hotel
Marion Tuesday, August IS, beginning
at $3.50 a. IN. A call for the special
meeting was sent out yesterday by
President S. NJ. Beattie of Newport and
Secretary Grover 7. Owens of Little
Rock. Members of the Arkansas Pro-
fitable Farming Bureau of the Little
Rock Board of Commerce and of the
University OF Arkansas Agricultural
Extension Division will attend the
meeting and will cooperate in the
proposed campaign. Mr.. Owens, see
rotary of the hardware dealers as
ISOLATION. is enc o. the most active
and enthusiastic members OF the Ar
kansas Profitable Farming Bureau.
Situation Serious Already.
Mr.. Owens says that the labor
shortage in Arkansas already is Sc
rious and that there is every pros pect
that it viii be worse by spring. Re-
Gently he visited his farm in Wood
ruff county and he found that it is
impossible for planters in ;hat section
to hire negroes to build fences, repair
buildings and to do other work that
ordinarily is done in the summer
Many of the negroes have gone to
Northern cities to work in factories.
Others are receiving big wages in the
lumber mills in southern Arkansas.
The only practical way to meet
this situation is by the use OF improv
ed machinery which Will enable one
man to do the work that formerly re-
CURED the services of two or three
men," said Mr.. Owens. 1t is with
this idea in view that the special meet
ing of the implement dealers has
been called. 1t is not with any self
ish motives in view, and this is proven
by the fact that the plan has the en-
dorsement of the Profitable Farming
Bureau and the Extension Division.
The situation is here; it must be met,
and no one has been able 10 offer any
solution except the use Of improved
machinery.
Must Act At Once.
IF anything is to be done, it must
be at once. Only few days ago L
was talking with high official o.
one Of the largest pillow manufacture
ing concerns in the country. He had
recently been summoned before the
National Council of Defense, along
With other representatives of farm
machinery manufacturing concerns.
Members OF the national council said
that the amount OF steel used by these
concerns must be reduced because Of
the nations great need for it. But
these manufacturers protested that
farm machinery must be manu-. actur-
ed if the nation was to raise more
foodstuffs. An agreement was finally
reached by which the manufacture
ers agreed to canvass the situation
and ascertain their needs, then to
make report to the national council.
SO if Arkansas is TO send in an in
creased order for farm machinery, ar
rangements must be made at once, or
we will be unable to get the machn-
cry"
Mr. Owens says that there are about
400 dealers in Arkansas who handle
farm machinery, and that the business
amounts to $7000,000 a year One
dealer in this state sold $625,000
worth in 1916.