French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1918-05-09
LABOR THE NEED Or THE HOUR

The selective draft, with thousands
of volunteers, has taken millions of
young men from every walk of life.
No class, condition, or profession has
escaped the clarion call to service and
the country finds itself facing a crisis
on account of a shortage of labor in
the industries and on the farms. Gov
ernor Beckett joins in the general ap-
peal of President Wilson and brings
the matter of enlistment in this field
of endeavor right down to the home
of every citizen of North Carolina.
The call is to all, but young men
not subject to draft r earnestly ad-
monished to enlist wherever the need
for service is greatest in the mobili-
cation of labor for the production of
food and munitions, for the support
of our country's defenders at the
front and in training camps.
In the present emergency an
equitable distribution of the States
labor supply is essential. There is
grave danger of a serious shortage in
farm labor, and the cooperation of
every citizen is needed in the effort
to induce the unemployed to take up
agricultural pursuits-a field in
which the demand for help is general
ly far in excess of the supply. Let
US not forget that we are in the
throes of war, with thousands of
young men from both the factory
and the farm either at the front, or
preparing to go. The shortage in
farm labor is bound to be keenly felt
this year unless some way can be
found whereby the employers of
cities and towns may join hands with
the farmers in working out a just and
equitable distribution of our labor
supply. A very important service the
"home folks" may render their coun-
try in this crisis today will be to see
that the farmers are provided with
adequate help for planting, cultivat-
ing and harvesting their crops.
The formation of citizens commit
tees in towns and cities, for the pur-
pose of listing the labor supply avail
able, would doubtless prove helpful
as a means of information. Such
organizations might also be able to
interest employers in non-essential
industries to the extent of inducing
them to encourage those of their en-
ployees who have had agricultural ex-
perience to return to the farm, if
only for a season, and permit their
places to be filled by those untitled,
by training, for farm work. The
farmers themselves would doubtless
be glad to cooperate with organiza-
lions of the kind suggested in work
ing out a solution of the problem.
Again, local organizations may, in
cooperation with school authorities,
induce many of our high school boys
to offer their services to the farmers
during vacation. Recently the United
States Employment Service, a divis-
ion of the Department of Labor, in
augurated a nationwide campaign to
enroll 100000 Boy Scouts and high
school boys for service on the farm.
North Cardinals quota is 1000 and
this number may be drafted if such
action is found to be necessary in
meeting the exigencies of the situa-
ton. New York State is asked to
furnish $1,000; Tennessee, 10000:
Virginia, 5000, and other common
Wealths are requested to enroll num-
bers on a like basis of population.
Food production and food c~onserva-
ton is the slogan and everyone is adj
monished to cooperate in relieving
the tension Of the labor situation and
in contributing to the world supply
OF food by growing food products
n raising pigs and poultry.
Inviting the Boy Scouts of America
to enlist in agricultural pursuits, Sec
rotary Houston, of the United States
department of Agriculture, says:
The wal can be won if we deliver
the men, the ships, and the food in
sufficient numbers and quantities to
make our war program effective. You
as Boy Scouts a greatly aid by
growing home vegetable gardens.
conserving food by canning and dry
ing for home S and in-many other
ways. Will you not help your coun-
try again this yea even in a bigger
and a better way than you did during