The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-07-10

Government action ensurfng the
farmers of America ample supplies Of
farm implements and competent farm
labor is virtually necessary to this
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 In
1918 the United States will fail to pro-
luce foodstuffs necessary to feed the
:ivil population of our allies and to
keep the allied armies In fighting trim.
This declaration is made In q public
statement by the National Implement
and Vehicle Association, whose MEM
,ers manufacture most Of the farming
implements used in and exported from
he United States. It Is the AssOcia-
ions answer to an anxious inquiry
about reports Of prospective imple-
ment shortage addressed to 1t In behalf
Of the cOuntry's farming Interests by
Ex-Governor w. d. Hoard Of Wiscon-
sin, one of the leaders Of American ag-
riculture and publisher Of Hoard's
Dairyman. The statement, which 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
abor-saving farm machinery and the
supply Of skilled farm labor we, too,
must soon face a shrinkage Of food
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 1918 to meet the
demands upon them.
I'VE are now confronted by shortages
II raw material and factory labor that
will begin to be manifest In shortages
If 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
and machines are smaller than In nor
NAL years, because Of earlier scarcity
Of factory labor and rapidly tighten
ing scarcity of all raw materials.
Farmers have deferred during the
last three years the replacing Of old
and badly worn tools and machines.
Now, confronted by the practical Ger
kainty that the war is to continue in
definitely, with attendant assurance Of
heavy demand and high prices for all
their products. and by an inevitable
shortage Of farm labor, they cannot put
of longer requirements Of worn out
machines and the additions to equip
ment necessary to increase acreage
and production. X
1T is also essential in meeting the
demand Of the farmers for implements
that there shall be preference in trans
portation for raw materials to the fac
tories and for finished goods from the
factories to the farms.
"For the last ten years farm labor
has been more and more difficult to
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
occupations, there Is bound to be a
shortage Of farm labor such as this
country has never Known. In Kansas
alone vast number of fertile acres on
which the wheat crop failed will lie
Idle this summer. chiefly for lack Of
labor and partly through lack Of ms
chimes to replant to corn.
I'VE regard 1t as vital to keep on the
Farms the men now there who know
The business. especially the men
trained in the use Of lab0r-saving ma
It would be wasteful and
foolish to let them 60 and afterward
Try to replace them with unskilled men.
I'VE seek no advantage for our in |
1ustry over any other. but we realize
md we want the public to realize that
without this product and without suf-
1cient labor the farmers Of the United
States cannot increase or even main |
ain their production Of foodstuffs next |
rear. To avert the calamity that such |
! condition will surely produce, our In
iustry and the farming industry which |
I chiefly supports must - put upon !
he same preferred basis as the making
4 war Munitions, even n other less
'ital industries suffer thereby for ma
erials and men.
these are the measures that we de.
iare to be vital to the feeding Of this
lati0n and Its allies next year:
ri. That the manufacture Of farm
Materials be given equal preference
With the manufacture of war NUM-
Ions MS regards supplies Of necessary
aw materials.
80. Tint service to the country In
arm ma, ry factories be consid-
red OF eq...i Importance with service
q munition making plants, Govern
nent or private.
.. That labor On the farms be con-
ldered az Of equal Importance with
he production u war munitions.
~ That the raw materials for farm
- ma rAfnorv nnf1. fahat AnsakAd pnrf1n