Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-07-12
STATE LABOR BUREAU REPORT
DEMAND HAS BEEN FULLY
80 - MET.
COUNTY AGENTS ADVISED
TO USE CARE IN CALLS
Must Specify Number Of Men Actually
Needed When Calls Are Sent Out
For Help - Considerable Confusion
and Unnecessary Trouble Caused by
lndefiniteness Of Demands.

Des Moines, July, 12.-While there Is
and has been for some time a cry as
to the shortage of farm labor IN Iowa,
the situation is not nearly as serious
as the reports would make it appear
according to the state labor commits
sioner's department.
The demand for farm labor has thus
far been adequately met says George
Albert. chief clerk Of the state federal
labor bureau.
"A number of cases Of shortage have
been reported to US" said Mr.. Albert.
land when we have run them down we
have found them without foundation.
The other day we received a wire from
an official in the eastern part OF the
state that q certain farmer near
Waterloo was in dire need of help to
take care of his wheat, which was
about TO be ruined.
Men But No Work.
eve Immediately got in touch with
this farmer and learned that he had
all the help he needed, had not COM
planned as to lack of workers and did
not know of any farmer in his neigh
borhood who did need help"
Mr.. Albert says this is a fair sample
OF number of cases that have come
to the attention of the bureau.
1--WE also had a case said Mr.. AL
bert, where a county agent asked US
for number Of harvest hands which
were sent him irum ediately. When they
arrived, however they found there
was no work for them, the agent evil
IDENTIFY having made a mistake"
Instruct County Agents.
IN order to impress upon the county
agents the Importance of calling for
help only where and when 1t is needed
the labor bureau on Thursday sent out
q letter to all the county agents in the
state asking that they state specifically
the number Of men actually needed
and when they are needed so that
when the bureau sends them out they
can go to work at once
There are several factors that have
contributed to the solution Of the farm
labor problem. One of them IS the fact
that the farmers are this year getting
along with less help than in former
years There Is as much work to do as
ever, but they are doing It IN a differ
ert way
! In most localities the farmers get to-
/ gether and help each other to do such
work as can not very well be per-
formed by one man alone. Especially
in the work Of harvesting can this be
done practically IN view Of the fact
that all the grain fields are not ready
to harvest at the same time.
In q number OF places the farm
working reserve recruited by the
United States public service reserve
among business men and others is
being afforded opportunity to give an
account Of itself IN the harvest field
and other lines where a farm labor
emergency exists, and the results as
Indicated by such reports as have been
received by the state director Of the
reserve are very satisfactory.
Among specific cases where business
men have gone out into the harvest
field may be mentioned that at Sey-
rnour. where fifty merchants. bankers,
lumber dealers and other business men
went out into the harvest field and
helped put up grain. The same thing