The Washington herald., 1918-02-27
LABOR SOUGHT
FROM ISLANDS
Holland Says Insular Pos.
sessions Can Supply De-
mand for Help.

Would De glad II immigration OF men
and women willing and able to work
were resumed SO that in that way
the shortage Of labor could be to some
exent made good.
Hugh Reid, who is an expert in the
office OF the Secretary of Labor. has
issued a statement that there is no
foreign country upon which we, can
now draw for an acceptable class OF
labor TO meet our needs Up to the
year OF the outbreak Of the European
war there came after 1900 to the
United States immigrants in great
numbers. AS many as ZOO, 900 a year
came In the ten years previous to
1914.
No longer IS a record Of that kind
made. And for that reason the labor
shortage, especially in the agricultural
sections, offers greater and greater
embarrassment and difficulties to the
farmers.
Mr.. Reid says that we can fortu
nateiy rely upon some of our outly-
ing possessions for some part Of the
labor which is needed. The Depart
ment Of Labor is now preparing for
bringing into the United States 100
900 Porto Ricans and 1000 laborers
from our newly-acquired Virgin Is
lands.
In that way we may secure by
early spring 10000 men who are COM
petent to work at first upon the rail-
roads and then in the agricultural
sections beginning with the South,
where they will find accustomed warm
weather, and, as the country warns
up towards the North, they will grad
ually be sent even as far North as
the agricultural States of the North
west
This fine army of working men are
not foreigners. As they come from
Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands
they are American citizens and it is
probable that many OF them will re-
main in the United States after the
war has ended.
The Labor Saving Apparatus.
Presumably the government al
Washington is preparing 10 assist he
farmers so that they may be able
to secure some time in the spring
and before the summer Is ended a
much-needed increase in agricultural
implements. The farmers of the West
who till farms each of which contaiLs
hundreds and in some instances tnou-
sands of acres, are anxious to secure
an adequate supply of tractors. The
government, aiding the farmers and
appealing to the great industries
which are capable of manufacturing
these agricultural implements, may be
able to supply the farmers by mid
summer with possibly as many as 5000
tractors.
Therefore, while the great tanks
are occupied in. warfare upon the
Western front Of the battle lines
in Europe, the apparatus which
furnished the first hint from which
4 ultimately came the British tanks,
will be doing war work of another
kind, for 1t will be aiding the farm
ers in cultivating their fields and
in harvesting.
Experience has shown that the
very large tractors are not as eco
nomical or as readily available for
extensive farm work as are those
Of small size. The ideal tractor for
the farmers is one which is capa-
bic Of doing work equivalent in
amount to that which could be per-
formed by four horses in a single
day and is also of such simple con-
struction and easy management that
lad in his teens can drive 1t, not
requiring any other help. Before
the summer Is over there will be
thousands of these tractors at work
and they will in some measure
make good the deficiency in farm
labor.
Returning to His Own.
1t Is a curious and interesting
FEATURE associated with the recent
development of cooperation and
co-ordination in war work that the
Secretary of the Treasury, Mr.. Nc
Adoo. returns. as Director General
Of the Federalized railroad system
Of the United States, to his first
Important and now traditional vo-
cation, namely the executive au-
thority over the Hudson tubes
However great Secretary Nc
Adoo's success may be as Director
|GeneralH of the Federalized railway
System. nevertheless he will always
be associated with the conception
LOT the construction of the railway
tubes under the Hudson River and
|aiso with the persistency and en-
|ergy with which he. in spite of
|many discouragements, at last
|achieved the great work which he
las young lawyer of Jersey City,
almost unknown. had a few years
|earlier undertaken.
Within a few days it has become
Known that shortly after Mr.. Nc
.Adoo became Director General of
|fhe Federalized railway system
fthe control of the Hudson tubes
passed within his authority. That
fvas also true of the tubes which
the Pennsylvania Railroad, under
Ithe great Constructive leadership
|of, A J. Cassatt, built under the
Hudson River and then continued
under Manhattan Island, still fur
rher careering on to their course
mder the East River to Long Is
land. coming out into the open at
point where conYenient connec-
Eioa was made with the Long Is
land Railroad and with the New
Haven Railroad.
BY. the utilization of the PennsyI-
rania tubes a dangerous fuel crisis
n New York City was averted.
The Hudson tubes. which are fire.
huently called the McAdoo tubes,
nake a railroad communication
bot only with Jersey City, but also
With Hoboken convenient and there
an be also utilization of these
ubes for the transportation of the
ommodities under the Hudson into
Few York City.
Secretary McAdoo could not have
reamed when he went to Washing
on as Secretary Of the Treasury,
aving at that time severed his con-
ectlon with the Hudson Tube Com
|any. that the day would soon come
vhen he as Director General of uni
led railway system should again
ONE into authority over these
ubes.
Had there been no procrastina-
lon. could there have been suffi-
lent foresight to Justify speedy