The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-03-29
TOWN WOMEN MAY
AID FARM WIVES
May Also Release Men Employed
in Lighter Industries for Az
riculturaI Work.
ALSO AID IN TRUCK FARMING
Not the Policy of Agricultural Depart
nent to Call Upon GentIer Sex
Until Nations Food Produc-
ton is Threatened.

|
Only when the man and boy supply
! is exhausted and the failure of the
nations food production campaigns are.
| threatened, should the United States
| call upon women to do mems work on
! the farm.
That, briefly, may be said to be the
policy of the United States depart
ment of agriculture in the matter of
women as farm laborers. Badly as la
Dor will be needed to carry through
programs of. food production this year,
the department does not believe the
situation yet demands the employment
of women for the heavier farming op-
erations. Rather, it believes that eff
forts now should be directed toward
persuading able-bodied men in the cit
les to do farm work and that commu-
nifty action should be directed to this
end.
Work for Women.
But there will be work to do for
the thousands of women who are Of |
fering to help the farmers with their |
big task. Helping farm women with |
their added duties and taking the place |
of men in the lighter industries, thus
releasing male labor for the farms, are
important ways in which women may
aid agricultures program, department |
officials point out. Furthermore, wom-
en- can be expected to help, as they
have in the past, with the lighter work
of truck farming. in picking and pack
ing berries and fruit and with much
other light labor of food production.
But If serious labor shortage threat
ems the harvest of the country's food
crops the department of agriculture,
In cooperation with the department
of labor and other federal and state
agencies, will request women to help
meet the situation. It has instructed
its field agents to aid farmers In OBJ
tanning women workers when such con-
ditions arise.
Among the sources from which adj
ditional labor may be obtained on the
farms are: Q) from among the wom-
en- already on FARMS (2) from rela-
lives of farmers who are living In cit
les and who are willing to work on :
lHTHlS curing SIdch business OF ln0uS-
trial periods; (3) from the foreign :
who are accustomed to work .
n the fields under system Of inten-
live agriculture before migrating to !
his country; and (4) from women in
nearby villages and towns who might !
,e employed on farms and still live at
lone. I
II in any community 1t becomes nee
ssary to employ women. the princi- 1
lie problems to be met are to stimu- ]
ate women to take up farm work and 1
o make farmers realize the necessity
f using woman labor in order to main 1
ain production. !
Wages for Women. I
The farmer desiring woman labor :;
RS should indicate the kind of work I
rhich he wants done, the amount. and I
he probable dates and wages offered. :
nd the woman offering herself should
ldicate the kinds of work she Is WILL
lg to do, and whether she is willing !.
, work all day and every day IN the !,
eek. 1t should be thoroughly under n
food by all parties concerned that the
omen are 10 receive wage equal to
lat given men for performing the
,me amount Of work. Wherever pos q