The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1917-05-17
TO MOBILIZE YOUTH OF STATE
TO HELP HARVEST THE CROPS
Shortage Of Farm Labor is One Of Big Problems
that Confront People of Washington
Everybody Must Help


;noto, high school students to help
horvest the state's wac crop this sum-
NOR and thus prevent the threatened
shortage of labor il Che farming dis
tricts. >" ~
The call, by which tie students will
no enabled to help their country in a
much needed and practical way, and
at the same time obtain employment
at prevailing wages, today was issued
nv Henry M. White, United States
commissioner of immigration and en-
ployment, with headquarters at Seat
tie. E.z ~ II
The plan of placing the states high
school students on the farm is en-
dorsed by the United States depart
ment of labor, the United States de-
partment of agriculture, the state de-
partment of agriculture, Mrs. Jose
phine Preston, state superintendent of
public instruction, the Seattle and Ia
coma school boards, and school offic-
ials in various parts of the state.
The United States employment SER
vice, which will carry on this patrio-
tic and important work, will have the
active cooperation of the organiza-
tons named: The Young Mems Chris
ton association, the State Harvesters'
league, the rotary clubs of Washing
ton and the commercial organizations
turnout the state.
The United States employment ser
vice in its efforts to forward this
movement has adopted the slogan,
School boy can beta man on the
farm" It likewise is having prepared
an attractive button which will be in
scribed with the American flag and the
slogan mentioned for distribution
among the young patriots of the state
who agree to go into the harvest fields
this summer.
An effort is being made by Commits
sioner White and his assistants to
have May 18th designated as enroll
ment day in the five hundred high
schools of the state. Governor Ernest
Lister this week was expected to is
sue proclamation naming this day
officially as enrolment day and call
ing upon school officials, including all
principals and teachers, to encourage
the students to enroll this date for
service in the harvest fields.
Commissioner White has addressed
an appeal, describing "From the Class
Room to the Farm Movement" to all
the schools Of the state, and already
has begun to receive responses in
which principals indorse the plan in
sending the names of students who
Immediately volunteered to take up
this work for their country.
In each of the letters sent out to the
schools number of enrolment cards
are enclosed for the students to sign.
1t is the plan to have these cards, as
soon as they are filled out, sent to the
United States employment service at
Seattle. The US. employment ser.
vice, thru its branch Offices at Spo-
kane, Walla Walla, North Yakima,
Tacoma, Aberdeen, Bellingham, and
Everett, is in close touch with the
labor situation thruout the state and
when the time comes when help is
needed to harvest Washington's big
crop, will be in a position to offer the
students places where their services
are required.
An effort will be made to locate the
students as near their homes as pos
slhle, so that the expense of travelling
will he held down to minimum. The
wages they will receive for this work
and living conditions surrounding the
employment will be determined at the
time work is given.
An exhaustive investigation of Ia
Dor conditions in the farming districts
especially that section east of the Gas.
cades, by United States employment
service and other agencies has dis
closed the fact that unless help vol
unteers to go into the harvest fields
TINS summer, a situation which will
selously curtail the crops will result.
This condition, unless remedied, will
cause still further rise in the high
cost OF living, because of the shortage
OF food supplies and will work a dis.
tlnct hardship upon the laboring class
es. On the other hand if the labor
problem is solved there will be big
crop and the cost of living will be re.
duced.
Tri-County Committee Busy
The agricultural committee of Kitti-
tas' Yakima and Benton counties, is
an informal organization of practi-
cal men interested in agriculture and