The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-09-09
FARM LABOR PROBLEM
FACTOR IN new DRAFT
County Agents Called an TO Supply
Draft Boards With Facts Relative
TO The Farm Labor Needs in Each
County.

y
Draft Boards With Facts Relative
/ TO The Farm Labor Needs in Each
County.
/ Washington. ID. c., Sept IA
/ plan has been agreed upon by the
War Labor Policies Board. Provost
Marshal General, Secretary OF War,
Secretary of Agriculture and Secre-
tary of Labor to put into deferred
classification such persons in the new
draft as are necessary in agriculture,
industry and other occupations
! Three advisers are to be associated
with each district draft board to pre-
sent facts relative to the supply of
necessary workers in these three oc-
cupational groups. The Agriculture
advisers will be nominated by the
Secretary of Agriculture They will
gather accurate facts regarding the
requirements of agriculture for the
various classes of workers in their
own districts. They should have
facts also as to the requirements for
such classes in other districts in Or
der that workers not sufficiently nee
essary in one district to entitle them
to deferred classification may have
opportunity to go to the other dis
tricts in which they are needed
The Department of Agriculture
has sent a QUESTIONABLE to each
county agent asking him to furnish
reliable information at once relative
to the farm labor needs in his coun-
ty. The QUESTIONABLE is to be dupli-
Gated, one copy going to the State
farm help specialist and one returned
to the Department. The Department
of Agriculture will undertake, both
directly and through the State farm
help specialist. to keep each district
adviser informed as to the needs of
necessary farm workers in various
parts of the country.
The purpose of the information
called for is 70 assist the district
draft boards in keeping in agricul-
ture the taJ necessary skilled farm
laborer in necessary agricultural en-
terprises, deferred class IL: (b) nee
manager of necessary agricultural
enterprise. Deferred class Ill; Co
necessary sole managing, controlling
or directing head of necessary agri-
cultural enterprise. Deferred class
"
What the draft boards desire are
the facts as to necessary skilled
workers. The unskilled workers ap-
parently are not to be considered for
deferred classification; they are re-
garded as more important for the
Army than for agriculture and in
dustry. Necessary skilled farm Ia
borers should not be confused with
inexperienced help that, with a little
training, can do fairly well some
kinds of farm work.
A skilled farm laborer has been
defined by one authority as one who
has the strength. intelligence and ex-
perience to perform acceptably the
ordinary farm operations of the dis
trict, commpnity or farm concerned.
whether in fields, ranches, orchards
or barns This definition is merely
suggested as guide. The draft
boards may have still other standards
A further suggestion may be made
with reference to necessary" as ap-
piled to skilled laborers. Presumab-
ly the amount of skilled labor that
may be REGARDED as necessary is TO
be determined b. the requirements of
the present agricultural war pro-
gram-something more than nor
NAL production of most farm pro-
duets. Pertinent questions in this
connection therefore are such as:
Are there sufficient skilled workers
to produce the live stock, cereals,
fruits, etc, required by this pro-
gram? Do these workers toll harder
and longer hours? Do some chill
dren, especially under fourteen years
of age, work regularly eight hours
or more? Are the burdens of farm
women increased? In other words,
do the farm people, responding to
many patriotic appeals, make, as
compared to other occupational
groups, very heavy draft upon their
reserve strength and upon their chill
dren?