The Wahpeton times., 1918-07-18
ZOO THRESHERMEN HOLD
An IMPORTANT MEETING
Continued from Page y


Mt need the services of such
man. One of the reasons why this
course was taken, was because it
was impossible to do, the same
kind of work on one farm as on.
another. While they might be d.,
ing good work when the inspector
arrived to inspect the rig, it was.
possible that the job just finished
was not s, good. The condition Of
the grain, the quality, and many
other kindred reasons was given
1t was also thought that the man
SO picked should be paid a good
salary as he was able to earn on
a rig himself mis- fall and milage.
As they didn't have the power to
vote him this compensation, they
left the question unsettled and it
is now back to the council again
without any definite action f~i-g
taken.
The labor situation was the next
squestion and County Agent Wolf
said that during the past week he
had placed about hundred men
at two fifty per day for haying and
that he thought the wages for har-
vesting and threshing would he
between three fifty and four dol
lars and one half. Chairman Kim
also thought that maybe it would
run to five a day with spikeys
drawing fifty ceAts more a day,
but that with the threshers furn-
ishing only machine crew and
spikey or two that dollar or
two extra would not cut much fig
ure. 1t was then put on the shelf
until actual work began to find out
what the labor help would cost.
Mr.. Wolf said that the cities. viii
lagos and towns in the county
were also going to be big help,
and that the farmers as most Of
the threshermen present were far
mers mnstn t think that this help
was no good as they would find
out that it was and the best way to
pay these men would be by the
hour, for instance: Suppose that
you have a fifty or sixty acre, field
cut down aud ten men came out
from Wahpeton at about four o.
clock in automobiles and with
these long evenings they would be
able then to put up all the grain
50 cut. Men in all these cities and
villages of the county have offer
ed the services of their automo-
biles in transporting this help
from one farm to another and that
with outside help and this help he
thought that all the grain was go
ing to be saved without any trou-
BILE whatsoever.
The assembly then argued the
question of price and decided fin
ally on Z and 9 cents for oats and
barley and wheat and rye, respect
fully, with flax to be decided be-
tween the farmer and the thresher.
Some thought that last years pri-
ces of four and six, while others
wanted five and seven, and few
eight and ten. So deciding a mid
die price of Z and nine, they de-
cided that it would mean justice
to all. 1t must be admitted by all
concerned that repair parts this
year have doubled, and the price
of engines and separators have ad-
vanced about fifty per cnt, the ad-
ditional cost of labor and fuel, it
seems that these threshers were
very fair in their price. 1t is an
admitted fact that the threshers
in the past have in a number of
cases lost money each year, figur-
ing the principal and interest in
volved with the life of a machine
Some stated that some threshers
have already agreed to thresh for
their neighbors for 4 and 6 the
came as last year, but these men
are going to be seen and the mat
ter talked over with them, as most
in fact it was almost unanimous
that the threshers would lose mo-
ney this year at last years prices.
This was the first meeting of this
kind ever held in this county and
the first attempt to organize the
men as body. such as labor un-
ion. in respect. and while a great
deal was done towards this organi-
zation. not all of the threshers in
the county were present. Another
feature that was always contend
ing matter was where five or sir
farmers owned a rig, cooperative
ly, and where they were going to
do their own work this fall. with
the men who made living out of
this kind Of enterprise. But mots
of the questions that arose were
settled satisfactorily.
A. A. -,.o<:n,. <Lo ,~n,. ,-.~x