The Press., 1917-05-03
Pledge slanks Ready.

tural service signed by Governor Hol- comb. These will be obtainable in every city, town, village and hamlet throughout Connecticut. Drug stores, department stores, churches, schools. lodges and business places of all sorts will be the distribution points. The newspapers, too. will have supplies of the blanks available for their readers.
 Having obtained one of these blanks. volunteers for the agricultural army in Connecticut-men, women, boys and girls all are eligible for this service will sign q pledge for service under one of the following five subdivisions:
 1. Farm production.
 2. Planting home gardens.
 8. Labor.
 4. Home canning.
 8. Garden supervisors.
 The next step will be the signing of the pledge by the individual This done, it will be returned to the town clerk, who, in turn, will forward 1t to Hartford for recording by Governor Holcomb's food production committee,
 TO Solve ProbIema of Help.
 'aThe Connecticut farmers greatest problem in food production is labor" according to a statement by the food supply committee. 'Through our jun for agricultural army and by means of the labor pledges we expect to have signed and returned to the town clerks we hope to solve this problem. We want every town clerks office in Con necticut to become the local labor bu- reau for farm helpers in this food crisis. We want every man who will devote his summer or even q certain number of hours weekly to farm work i to register with the town clerk through signing the pledges that can readily be obtained, and we want every farmer in the state to go to the town clerk and lay before that official his labor needs.
 "There are loyal, patriotic citizens enough in this state to insure the eul- tivatIon and harvesting of all the crops planted this year. Governor Holcomb feels sure of that, and we believe that through this method We can get the man who needs help in cOmmunica- ton with the man who is ready to do his bit through an agricultural service The question of wages will be settled between employer and employee to their mutual satisfaction"
 Insignia For Volunteers.
 Service in increasing and conserving the food supply of the state is not to go unrecognIzed, for Governor Hol- comb has directed his food production committee to order a vast number of service buttons, and this insignia will be given to each person who volunteers under any of the headings on the blank to assist in this vital work. These buttons have been ordered and will be put in the hands of town clerks with out delay when they are received.
 The Pledge Blanks.
 The pledge blank which the indi- vidual signs is divided into five parts, as follows: Farm production. planting home gardens, labor, home canning and garden supervision. At the top it has the state seal, with the words State of Connecticut Committee of Food Supply" The blank bears this message: Every man, woman, boy and girl in the state of Connecticut not enlisted for military or naval service is called upon to volunteer to sign this pledge. Do your duty" The follow ing statement by Governor Marcus H Holcomb occupies a prominent place on the blank: Above all things. our country needs in this national crisis men to serve their country in the mili- tary and naval forces and men and women to serve their country by pro- ducing and conserving food supplies for our people and our allies"
 The section of the pledge blank which the individual signs is address ed "To the Hon. Marcus H. Holcomb, Governor" and says, "In order to do my part to meet the crisis now faced by my state and country I hereby vol unteer to perform the following serv- ] ices"
 Under each of the five headings there is space for the individual to sign name and address. One part of the information asked has to do with the service performed in food raising d year ago. and this is considered impor. tant by the governors committee, as the desire is to show just what is ac- complished this year in the way of food crop increases through the efforts of the many agencies which are now at work in the state trying to solve this problem.
 Honder the head of "Farm Produc- i ton" the individual signs. a pledge saying, 'I agree to increase my acreage of food crops as follows" Places are provided in which figures for 1916 re- suits and 1917 estimates may be given under the head of corn, potatoes, buck wheat, oats, rye, beans, cabbage. tur- nips and onions.
 Under the head of Planting Home Gardens" the individual signs a pledge agreeing to plant and tend a garden this season and telling the size of the space which will be used. Questions as to the size of a home garden culti- vated in 1916 also are asked. It is stated that the individual may secure individual instructions and printed matter to guide in the selection of seeds and method of planting from the town clerk. ..... - f..s s,.s.-- ....... | under the head Of Labor the lnd1- vidual may sign the following pledge: |: T agree to offer my services to some farmer in my locality. arrangements for wages to be made direct with him" There is a space for state ment as to the number of hours each week which the individual can devote to farm work. It is stated that those Nn Inn IL. "a get in touch with farmers in their inn mediate locality, either directly or through the town clerk, whose office will be used as the local employment bureau for this purpose. The question is asked as to farm work which may have been done in 1916.
 The next heading is Home Can ning." The pledge the individual signs