South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-04-01
BIC PROBLEM IN
CROP PAINTINGS
Asst. Secretary of Agriculture
Issues Statement to Public
on Vital Question.
BY Asst Sec'y Clarence Ousiey, De-
partment OF Agriculture.

testimony before the senate com
mfttee on agriculture on March -.
These letters show that what 1 said
has been reported in such a manner
as To convey a false impression in
many respects. IL is impossible for
me to answer every letter and to
discuss every angle of the subject,
but for the information of all in
quiries. furnish the following
summary of what 1 said on the sub
ject of crop acreage and the labor
necessary 10 cultivate and harvest
the crops in 1918:
II the law of averages hold good,
there will be approximately as much
land under the pillow this year as
last year. and l am inclined TO be
lieye that in the aggregate the av-
erage will be increased. Since the
latter part of Jan. 1 have visited the
northwest from Minnesota TO Puget
sound. and the south from Texas TO
Georgia In the northwest, of
course, there we're no paintings, but
! 1 found a general purpose, notwith-
standing labor difficulties, TO equal
OF increase acreage. In the south
found the same purpose already
partly in effect. IL may be assumed
that what the farmers OF the south
west and of the northwest intend to
do. the farmers of other regions also
intend TO do.
The winter wheat acreage last
fall was increased four percent and
would have been increased Is TO 20
percent but for dry weather in a
considerabl part of the winter
wheat belt The prospect at this
time is for an increase of spring
wheat acreage of five TO 1 . percent.
In the south, the early paintings
carry a generous proportion of food
and feed crops and il the spring is
favorable there is no reason TO doubt
maintenance of this proportion.
In many of the trucking and market
garden regions. especially those sur
rounding busy industrial centers,
there Is likely TO be a considera BILE
decrease in truck crop acreage be-
cause Of labor difficulties, but in
many OF these regions much OF the
land will go into staple crops. This
reimbursement of farming operations
in the trucking regions is likely to
cause a smaller yield OF perisha ole
products, but on the other hand the
home garden movement is in full
swing and if every man who can do
so will make a reasonable effort to
raise a garden, there need be no lack
Of vegetables.
OF course, no man can say what
the harvest will be. for the yield
will depend upon the weather and
upon the labor available for cultiva-
ton and harvesting.
The principal difficulty i'm farm
| ing operations for 1915 is the prob
lem of farm labor. That is serious,
but it is not insuperable. The de-
partment of agriculture has farm
labor offices in nearly all of the
states. working in cooperation with
the agricultural colleges, the county
agents and other state activities, and
the department of labor has en-
ploymeRt Offices in nearly all the
centers of population. These two
| departments together are enabled TO
contribute much to the solution of
the problem by furnishing informa-
ton and by shifting labor from
neighborhood to neighborhood as
| the seasonal demand passes. and
generally by bringing together the
laborer and the employer. But
when all has been done that may be
| done by these departments or by
any other governmental agency,
much will remain TO be done by the
states and communities. especially
by the cities. for there is not enough
labor seeking employment to supply
the farms for cultivation and har-
vesting. For years the cities with
their great fortunes and bright lights
have been drawing young men from
| the farms. The war has merely
precipitated a drift that sooner or
later would have caused more or less
of a food crisis. In peace times that
| is a matter that might well be left
to readjust itself through such re-
| duced production and consequent
| high prices as would make farming
more profitable and attract men 10
the industry. But in the war emer-
gency we must have food at all costs.
and since there is no way of getting
il without labor, and since labor is
| lacking, the cities must sacrifice
something of their comfort and fur
nish the necessary man power to
| cultivate and harvest the crops. In
many towns and cities last year the
business men closed their establish
ments or spared numbers of their
| employees TO help the farmers. In a
few places already business men are
| taking surveys and are making
pledges to furnish labor which has
| farm experience, TO the adjoining
communities as may be needed. The
same methods must be put into
practice in every town and city ad-
! jacent TO a farming region. The
men of the cities must be brought
TO understand the vital importance
OF agriculture Many OF them have
sneered at il or have regarded il
with indifference. Now they must
lend il much Of their thought and
| their effort. They should under
stand that the United States is go
/ Oh g..g