Newark post. (Newark, Del.) 1910-1969, 1917-04-25

Representative men and women
from all parts of Delaware assem-
bled in response to the call of the
Governor, at Dover, last Thursday,
to consider the way in which the
State may act most efficiently in
furnishing food to the world.
Even military experts tell us to-
day." the Governor declared in
opening the conference, that this
war will be won on the farm. Ger
tain it is the long seige in Europe
has reduced the worlds food sup
ply, to degree never before
equalled in the worlds history.
We must organize for the MAXIM
UNI of food products and provide
means of aiding our farmers with
land and equipment; we must pro-
vide finance and labor for the
work"
Following the Governor Dean
Hayward, of the agricultural de-
partment Of Delaware College, told
of the conference at St. Louis, rec
emily called by the Agricultural
Department at Washington, and
attended by the Commissioners of
Agriculture, the State Boards Of
Agriculture. and representatives
of the Land Grant Colleges east of
the Rocky Mountains. at was the
unanimous opinion of the confer
ence," Dean Haywood said, that
we are now facing a shortage of
food products such as the world
has never seen. The warning ma
tons have not produced a normal
crop for three years, and added to
this the supply has been shortened
by the drouth in South America
In 1915 we produced ten bushels of
wheat per capita; in 1916 six
bushels per capita. We normally
use for home consumption 62/3
bushels per capita. The prospect
for wheat this year is anything but
promising. Wheat in Ohio and the
states of the west, is not nearly so
good as in Pennsylvania. It is up
to America to produce a crop 20
percent beyond normal if possible.
This means great stress on the
labor question. Twelve million
men are needed on our farms.
That means an army twelve times
larger than any military force we
are expected to raise at the present
time. 1t was brought out at the
st. Louis conference that in some
sections as high as 60 percent Of
the farm labor had gone. The
great wheat section of the north,
west depends on the drifting pop,
ulation for agricultural labor
Canada is bidding high for this
this year. They are offering ur
there $50 or $50 per month, free
homesteads, and time in labor tt
count on homesteads.
'In Sussex County, Delaware
labor was never so scarce; Ken,
County is in fair shape at the pres
ent time; New Castle is possibly
as bad off as Sussex. but no worse
"The seed situation Professor
Hayward continued, sis fairly
good There is plenty all over the
country. Not much was said at the
Conference, about fertilizer. Some
of our land is suffering for the
want of potash, but the fertilizer
question is not nearly so vital a:
that of labor. The burning ques
ton is, How can we man The
farms? How can we mobilize thu
labor at hand in order that W.
may get the greatest results
ex-governor Miller made a mo
tion that Governor Townsend name
a committee of twelve to act as al
executive committee to handl,
problems of food production ant
food conservation in Delaware
The motion was adopted, and tn
following members announced b,
the Governor at the close of tn
meeting:
ex-governor Charles R. Miller
Joshiah Marvel, Henry P. Scott, l
Scott Townsend, Gamble Latrob
of Wilmington; Professor Harr
Hayward and Frederick Brady O
New Castle County; James f
Hughes and Judge Pennewell O
Kent; and DR.. Roland c. Payntel
Frank L. Grier, and ex-governo
Pennewill of Sussex.
A free discussion as to the mos
practical methods of solving tn
local problem followed. Anon
the speakers was ex-governor Per
newill, who declared, Every fal
mer is anxious to grow all he cal
but he can only grow according