The Washington herald., 1918-03-12
FLORIDA LABOR
MARKET FULL
Holland Finds Employment
! Conditions in South Fa- i.
, vorable for Industries.


a stay Of several weeks in Florida,
2 business man formerly prominently
tdentilsd with the securities market,
but now greatly Interested In the
agricultural development Of large
properties In Florida Of which he u
the owner, thought he might be doing
Sthe administration at Washington .
service Il he submitted TO the au-
thorities there some Of the results
oe his experience In Florida this
winter.
He did send brief and yet com
prehensive report to washington
chiefly respecting labor conditions In
that State. The report came to the
notice of the President and II was
submitted to the Agricultural Depart
ment whose officers were glad TO get
the information.
In substance this report was to the
eject that whatever the labor eondi-
ttons may be In other parts OF the
country they are excellent in Florida;
In fact, they never were better. The
negroes in that State have shown
themselves to be especially competent
hor the work in the fields, and there
u an abundant supply OF labor OF that
dnd-
For that reason the Agricultural
Department at Washington is to do
sol in its power to stimulate agri-
culture in that state and food pro-
dAction to the highest capacity: The
cultivation Of many OF the food
plants which thrive In SEMI
tropical climate is to. be greatly en-
courased and It IL possible that
Florida may do much to add to the
supply Of food Of which the nation
will stand in need next summer and
fall.
. The climatic conditions In the pen
fnsula Of Florida and In that part Of
the state which lies south Of Georgia.
Alabama. and the Mississippi upon
the Gulf coast, and the ample supply
of labor will make II possible to culti-
yate and harvest very large crops,
not merely OF fruits and vegetables,
bat also Of some grains, and possibly
the cultivation of the sugar cane will
be undertaken there.
The government at Washington
having learned that labor Is abundant
in Florida and that the laborers are
competent. has sent representatives
to this state for the purpose OF per-
suading as many as possible of the
farmers to cultivate the castor beam
4iready excellent response to this
appeal has been made.
The government guarantees fair
prices for the beans; in fact prices
50 high as to make the cultivation
sure to be profitable. There Is no
other section in the United States.
excepting possibly that part OF Texas
which lies near the coast, and the ex-
tFeme southern belts Of the Gulf coast
States, in which the castor bean can
be cultivated with great success
Representatives Of the government
who have recently visited FLORIDA
have said frankly to the farmers that
sAte government viii stand in need Of
Al enormous amount Of castor oil for
IIbrfcating purposes. Therefore Il is
Stimulating the growth OF a new agri-
cultural industry IN fher sennitroPifcaf
section Of the country. hoping that
aEleast 10000 acres will be this year
cultivated in the castor bean. Mil
lions Of gallons Of castor oil will be
required by the government for
lubricating purposes.
A Real NObleman.
With one or two exceptions the
men Of high rank in Great Britain
as well as those who have gained
pre-eminenee as statesmen there
who have, since the war began,
visited the United States have re-
veaIed an unexpected democratic,
whole-souled manner not usually as
ISOLATED with those whose names
are contained in the peerage.
This has been especially true of
Lord Reading. now British Ambas-
sador to the United States and High
Commissioner. He has gained an en-
vfable reputation. not merely for
urbanity Of manner in which there
il no hint Of insineerity or per
fGnctory greeting, but on the con-
trary Of such character as to make
an thouse who meet him feel almost
instantly at home.
But in addition to this he con-
veys the impression that he is .
man of extraordinary intellectual
Qualities. possessing not only a deep
thinking mind. profound. even critical.
but also a broad comprehensive mind
which enables him to consider all
questions that come before him as a
true statesman should be able to do.
When Lord Reading came to the
United States in 1915 for the purpose
Of conferences with the American
bankers with intent to procure q loan
Of S00.oo00o0 from the American
banks and bankers, he speedily re-
vealed himself at the conferences as
2 profound master of the modern
science Of finance. He was associated
at that time with very able men,
some of them representing France,
for the contemplated losn was to be
an international or joint transaction,
ENGLAND and France uniting in per-
fecting the contract.
IL was, however, in great asure
dus to the clear and concise state
nnents made by Lord Reading that
the American bankers agreed to
underWrite the loan of 500 .Ooo, 900 TAX
inw no other security for il than the
credit and the combined resources of
England and France.
English Opinion.
Since Lord Readings return to
the United States he has made II
. clear that he has gone to the bot
time. not merely those associated
with international financing and
SpIomacy. but also with the ques-
tion of food supplies for all OF the
allies. A few days ago Lord Read
ing was in New York and he spoke
informally of the food situation in
England. frankly asserting that II
is now as serious as II has been al
any time during the war but that
there prevails a belief in England
as also in France. that the United
states win more and more. as soor
as adequate shipment is provided
meet the food requirements ot
France. England and Italy.
In this opinion. Lord Reading
shares, and he IL all the more con-