The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-04-11
BY CIARFNCT DrBOSr

! The United States department nj
a grt culture. charged with tho govern
J m ont's war program Of increased food
production. has found No single fac
+ tor more inspiring than the enthus-
/ iaSm and the success with which bust
/ ness mon, through their commercial
! orga nizationE In the towns and cities
are turning their talents and energy
70 the agricultural problem. They
have entered into an adequate ap-
probation Of tho vast war importance
Of the production Of food. They I'M
derstand the pressing necessity Of Sc
! curing a sufficient supply Of farm
! labor and they know IL must he sup
piled by emergencv workers from the
towns and cities They sec that the
farmers war problems are the nusi-
ness mans war prob)ems-and they
are working whole hcartcdlv with the
/ farmer TO solve them
| For instance. IN Wilkes Barre
/ Pennsylvania. the chamber OF com
nrerce held conferences with the
farmers-luncheon meetings attended
. by from 800 TO 500 farmers who came
IN from all parts Of the county TO
meet the business men and discuss
the farmers needs As a result the
chamber Of commerce has undertaken
an elaborate program or co-operstion
with tho farmers of the county the
raising Of a fund Of $4,000 10 he
available for individual financial as
Sistance where necessary: assistance
in the purchase of farm machinery.
and other supplies; a systematic war
garden campaign all over tho count,
and--thc most important feature lust
noW-the securing of an emergency
Iarm amor supply to meet the needs
Tor planting, cultiyating and harvest
ing
IN" Greater Wilkes Barre chamber
or commerce adopted a plan that
MANY commercial organizations win
prohably find effective. the utilization
IN its war program, of the various
clubs Of the city, Co-ordinated under
a central directing authority and All
working together as parts of one
machine. And so the chamber Of
commerce, the Luzerne county rarrn
bureau the Rotary club, the Civic club
OF each town in the county. tho or
ganization Of school teachers. tho
hlwanis club" and various others
some national some local but in s-cn-
eral the same sort Of bodies that are
found in every American town. carno
together in ono common purnose to
help win the war
At the first luncheon meeting. hold
the latter part Of February 500
farmers were present. A week later
inc business mon invited the farmers
70 similar meeting and 500 came in
representing every nook and cram,
OF the county With this. the ca-I
operative war-work program was a.,
IN dead earnest, Cor after the second
meeting every strong business man
ana every good farmer in the couatv
knew absolutely that each could de-
pend upon the other. and each had
gained an unshakabie spirit of CON
hdonce in the ability OF such a com
plnation to face and solve the arr,-
cultural or other war problems or
that section
First. the $500 farmers in tho conn
" were divided into croups Of dve
each group, Of course. being Cnrnnosol
OF contiguous farms. Each ffth Jaw,
er was made chairman of his gronn
charged with the duty of ascert.tp
lhE ana reporting the exact labor and
other needs Of his four ASSOCIATES a,,d
himself. The 740 reports when classi.
fed and compiled will show Tho So,
labor needs Of the county-the NM
Der of workers an individual or = r0,,1.
munity Will need. and the time thev
Will be needed
The Rotary Club Of wilkes Barro
was asst gned by the chamber or co,,
merce to the job OF securing ana
transporting labor. A preljmiparn go
vey showed the practica bilitv ~ secur.
ing large number Of women NJ fa,
eign birth, living in Wilkes Rarre who
had worked en- farms in their NATIVE
ands and who are experienced ana !