Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-04-28
MT Departments JOHN Hands to Solve Labor Shortage Problem

burden IN supplying food for ne gal
liant fighters in the trenches. the al
lies and tho people OF their own vast
country.
The Department OF Labor sees splsn-
did opportunities for girls and women
to show their loyalty to Uncle Gam
through service on the farm. At least
women can perform the lighter tasks.
picking. and thus release men for
heavier and skilled labor. There are Al
ready women on the farm who feel
themselves able substitutes for their
brothers.
A first-class training camp has been
suggested as an excellent plan. In
these camps girls and women would
Furthermore. thosa In authority At
such training stations could very
quickly select those who were not only
sound OF health. but physically strong
enough to undertake the work which
they might be called upon to do. Tho
ably be asked to establish these camps
and handle this problem in it's en-
tirety In case II becomes. necessary to
employ women in largo numbers for
agricultural work.
Negro laborers ars exceedingly apt
in many occupations. and in order to
assure their support and fullest CO.
operation Secretary Wilson has
authorized the appointment of an ex-
pert on the negro labor problems
which will inevitably arise from time
to time. The duties Of this expert will
be to give advice and council and to
act as q medium between negroes and
the administrative body whenever GER
tain difficult issues must be wisely
met. Not all Americans appreciate tho
value OF the negro as q labor asset Z"
as full an extent as does the south
erner, but the country as whole ~
beginning now to realise that tn"
negro will be called upon to NIL many
future emergencies.
Every variety of suggestion for re-
lieving the stress Of labor shortage Is
current. Among these is one advocating
the Importation of labor in case the
question involved grows more acute. In
fact, the Importation Of a good many
thousand natives from the Virgin Is
lands and Porto Rico has the serious
consideration Of the Department of La =
Dor.
A large number OF progressive farm
ers are pinning their faith to new and
improved farm machinery. Labor-sar-
ing machinery makes II possible to dis
pense with a very considerable portion
Of man power. The farmer who owns
an up-to-date tractor Is much more In
dependent of laborers than his neigh
Dor who Is less fortunate In his possess
sion Of farm equipment. The govern
powerful machinery for the farm. There
il the binder. which can do more work
and do It better and in a far shorter time
than 1t takes the usual number OF Ia
borers. There are the giant gang plows
and the modern mowers, of which TIE
Same things can be said. and these are
only a few of the many machines which
are now on the market to meet the de-
mand of the most efficient farmers-
Chambers of commerce are In many IN
stances instrumental in supplying ma
chinery to farmers.
There are occupations along divers
and manifold lines that are not at all
essential to war Industries. and filling
innumerable positions in just such oc-
cupations are men of endurance and
strength. 1t has been repeatedly eug-
gested that women be given these po-
sitions and so release the men for the
heavy farm labor which women would
ind quite beyond their strength. In the
immediate vicinity of great agricul-
tural districts this Is really being aos
complished.
These days. too. the government Is not
only willing but eager to do all in its
power to make 1t possible for the ex-
farmer who has migrated to the city
to return to his beloved land II these
men are given the proper encourage
ment and can find way to attain their
goal, many of them will undoubtedly
return to the quiet and comforts OF
farm life.