The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-07-28
BOYS WILL BE NEEDED FOR
 GATHERING CROPS
Ten Meetings to Be Held in Various Sections and Plans Made for Supplying
 Boy Power

Montgomery, July 27.-(SpeciaD Reports received by W. N. Reed, Ala bama director of the United States boys working reserve, indicate that farmers of Alabama will need 12090 boys in harvesting the crops during October and November, and in order to furnish as many boys as possible 10 meetings were called Saturday at which principals of the county high schools county farm demonstration agents and chairmen of the county councils of defense will attend and will plan for the supplying the boy power.
 The state has been apportioned into 10 districts and those, interested in each district will attend the meeting nearest their counties. The first meeting will be held at Decatur August IA, and plans will be made for the harvest in Colbert, Jackson. Lauderdale, Law renee, Limestone, Madison and Morgsn counties Director Reed will be pres ent and the Alabama council of de- fense will have a representative at each meeting. After the Decatur con- ference, the districts will be covered on the following dates;
 Birmingham. August IS: For the counties of Blount, Clay, Cleburne, Cullman, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair and Tal1adega.
 Jasper. August 16: For the counties of Fayette, Franklin, Lamar, Winston, Marion and Walker
 Gadsden, August IT: For the coun- ties of Calhoun, Cherokee, Dekalt, Etowah and Marshall
 Montgomery, August 19: For the counties of Autauga. Barbour, Bull lock, Butler, Chiffon, Conecuh, Cren shaw, Elmore, Lowndes, Macon, Mont gomery, Pike and Russell.
 Mobile, August 20: For the counties of Baldwin, Choctaw, Clarke, Escan- bia, Mobile, Mcnroe and Washington.
 Selma, August 21 For the counties of Dallas. Marengo, Perry, Sumter and Wilcox.
 Tuscaloosa, August g: for the coun- ties of Bibb, Greene, Hale, Pickens and Tuscaloosa.
 opelika. August 2s For the couh- ties of Chambers, Coosa Lee, Randolph and Tallapoosa.
 Dothan, August 24: For the coun- ties of Coffe, Covington, Dale, Geneva, Henry and Houston
 Spright Dowell, state superintendent of education, will attend as many meet ings as possible, and if he cannot at tend all he will send another repre- sentative of his department and will explain what consideration will re given to the boys who leave the schools for the time they are needed in the fields. An understanding will be had at the meetings as to whether the schools will be held six days q week to make up for the lost time or will continue month or six weeks longer in the spring.
 Ac onh rnLN the boys needed on the farms will l be asked to enlist. Those who volui- teer and go to the farms will be given a certificate and badge if they do their work satisfactorily, which will show that they have done something to ad- vance the nation in the war. Each boy will take an oath to do his best during the time he is on the farm A scale of wages will be provided which will guarantee that the boys will receive the proper pay during the time they are on the farms. The task of organizing the counties will be entrusted to an executive cons | mittee of not less than three men, One member will be the principal of the agent and one the chairman of the county council of defense. In the I large counties more members will be provided. Women demonstration agents | will be given a place in the organiza- 1 ton.
 The use of boys in the fields has | been successful in the western grain lstates and Director Reed recently has made personal investigations which will aid in the organization of Ala ! bama. If a county has sufficient boy power to do all work on the farms the boys will be used at home. Coun- ties which need more boys than they can furnish will obtain the services of boys from the cities and towns