Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-31
AN INDUSTRIAL STORY
CONTAINING A LESSON
How the Towns OF the Country Can
is-sr Get Into the War in the
;sEsss Right Way.
FARMER OPENS BANKER's EYES
l9ne Way to Overcome Trouble OF
Farm Labor Shortage Adoption
SSys+of Plan Outlined in Virginia
Towns Would Work Wonders.

moral In il that tells just how one very
{ agonizing war industrial problem must
he solved, II i, is solved at all.
Blankville really hadn't gone TO war
i until one morning a few weeks age.
( when Farmer William Hughes. from
I : the Rocky llll neishborhood. came TO
:, town and went to sec the president
Sc tho First National Bank. That
4 Z started il.
Rlankvine thought it was al
all the time. There hasn't been
moment since the started when
the people OF Blankvillc didn't consider
their town peculiarly patriotic place,
They we-a proud-and justly so--of
.sihelr record for volunteers and Liberty
asbond and Red Cross subscriptions and
s5thrift stamp sales. Until Farmer Will
CLAM Hughes read the riot act to the
lpresident OF tho First National, Blank
lyille perfectly compaccnt in
ssthe assumption that it was doing
Everything it could do to help win
sthe war.
y Just william Hughes walked into
1.-THE bank the president saying
Ias much to visitor who had hccn
s+brought to him by the secretary
s.of the Chamber of Commerce. "Blsnk
ssTille." the president declared sis
800 per cent patriotic town, Simon
Squire American! In tho war to q fare
syou-well finish! Then he told the
tstranKcr what Blankville had done.
4and the secretary OF tho Chamber OF
ssEommerce confirmed tho accuracy OF
1.-THE recital And the farmers doing
ssther part nobly In this country" he
s,continued. They have Increased their
.sasrease. Isn't that correct MI
Hughcs?'
FROM QUITE ANOTHER
POINT OF VIEW
'ch, yes. that's true enough" ro
piled the farmer. But II you're going
LSc,stop with that statement l think
you'd better quit Dragging about what
khor town has done! You might we'll
wake up right now! You haven't half
started! What have you done? Fut
VnSyour money for gilt-edged securi-
riessthat pay you interest and are tax
free. Cut down your rations-best
thing for your health you ever did. be-
cause you were eating too much and
ge.ting fat. ] take off my hat to the
Soys who went away from this town tc
hight. but I'm not handing the town
any bouquets otherwse-that is, un-
less you go to war for fact
u don't understand" said the bank
president. We've done absolutely
everything tho government has re-
aucstcd and usually little more.
You've increased your food and feed
arrcagc, Almost every farmer in this
En,aty has Great Goodness, man!
what arc you talking about? What
Is there to do?'
That's just the trouble" said
Farmer William Hughes. The town
doesn't sec the job right ahead OF II.
Ypull do the job. I'm sure, as soon as
YOU see it. And knowing you hadn't
seen II came TO town this morning
just to show II to you.
SERIOUSNESS OF SITUATION NOT
REALIZED ny TOWN FOLKS
:. 1.-THE farm labor situation is much
more serious than you realize. Yes.
I've increased my acreage. And
had 4 hard time doing it under the
circumstances. Yes just as you say,
most of the farmers in the county have
planted. or Will plant, moro food and
feedstuns. And all OF them had trou
= BILE doing il. Now. where arc we going
TO get the hands TO cultivate and har.
vest these crops? We can't win the
unless We increase food produc-
tIos. And .re cant increase food pro-
duct!on unless We have farm help.
Now, you are patriotic can be here
in town. but you're taking too much
for granted. You're assuming that
komebody else some other section, will
furnish us farm labor. Well they
won't. They can't! Every one else
all over the country, is UP against just
the same tough proposition that we
are here. We've got to paddle our
own canoe. We've got TO furnish our
/ own farm labor
/ ''whereNi we get !tT' asked the
L banker and the commercial secretary
I and the stranger AL al once.
OIL NJ han 1sfl