Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-03-20
Get Men to the Farmer"

Mark Swan of the Vigilantes. has
written another article in attempt to
arouse the country TO a realization Of
the danger ahead. He says:
. The greatest question before the
American people TO-DAY is ''wherewith
swer the question because we don't
have to answer il now. Some of us
won't even admit that it is u question
Reginald has always gone to Rectors
after the show; there always has
been flet mignon and mushrooms.
Spike. the truck driver, has always gone
into that quick lunch. around the cor
ncr ana called tor ham and"-and from
some mysterious region ham and
has appeared. Why should filct mignon
and ham and" fail to answer
present" as long as one has the price?
Reginald has every confidence in
Ecctors and Spike places unbounded
dependence in the quick lunch. 1t is
absolutely inconceivabc to either OF
them that their haven of food should
fan them.
And they won't believe it-now--
they won't even consider it--or try to
understand it, until one day the Food
Card will softly step up and tap them
on the shoulder. Thereafter Spike will
have to get along with u lightweight
portion of war bread once in a while
and the best Reginald will get will be
shredded peanuts and IL split prune for
breakfast-and the wing Of shrimp
10
thcm-they call you Calamity Uowlcr
It's a terrible thing. for people to
have to listen to a Calamity Howler,
and read his dire prophecies, when
there are so many pleasant things to
do; but it's worse, much worse to be g.
calamity bowler: see calamity ap-
preaching slowly and relentlessly and
feel that bowling is in vain.
Yet calamity is coming. We have
had a slight foretastc of it this winter.
We have had meatless days and pork
less days and wheatless days and we've
had to deprive poor Fido of the daily
Jumps of sugar nc so gracefully poise.
on the end of his nose and gobbes IN
on command. but what we've had is
nothing to what we viii, have this time
next year.
short rations will be with us and in
stead of feeding F'ido sugar we may be
appraisinC him with hungry and specu-
latlVc eyes. The question can be stated
in thirty words. We need more food
staples than we raised last year and
were not going TO raise nearly as much
as We raised last year because the
farmer cant get labor.
Does this sound like panic. like
fright, lik a boey man? Ask the
farmer. There are meetings all over
the country where men are agonizing
over this question. They are begging
Tor help. Their planting time is upon
them. They haven't the men to plant
SuCh FOODS as to plant what they cant
such fools as to plant what htey can't
harvest? Would you start something
YOU couldn't tinish--and lose money!
II YOU want more evidence. read the
papers y great New York daily car
iled tour columns of a front page arti-
a." sunday. March Sd. And if You're
not satisfied read the report of the Sec
rotary of Agriculture of the United
states. who admits this condition and
states that the Department of Acricul
tnre is doing what it can to cope with
It, and that he hopes-hopcs. mind Won
that the labor shortage will be met
Is TINS a question to he met with
none Is this a problem to be solved
WITH some city gardens. and A few vol
unt"er high school boys and girls ia
work on few farms?
~ men war was declared with Ger
MAN.. we called on every man between
=! rnd 3. to be ready to fight ia do
TEND the national honor ana defend orr
liberties. Rut this food question is a
greater question thar the war peril
Inc success On faiiEic of Tie war de-
r'hd8 on IL. w. must feed our allies
anu ouf army and navy or they'll hay.
!" lrlt cold: IL" hIavest man alive
'a1 heht II he's starving. Our very
hTc5 depend on it. Your life Mine
/ II" llNcS OF al! Of rs.
Conside the scientific way in which
w" went to war. and the unscientifc
way IN which we 20 to work. We have
met the war question fairly. to the best
OF our ability, and we're not meeting
IN" food question at all.
There's only one way to meet it.
double the crops. Get men TO the
farmer Get them to him at once so
ne can plant. Keep them at 1t till after
harvest Subsidize the farmer. or sub-
sioize the farm hand. Double their
"agcs-do anything-but get them.
III necessary. draft them. Draft two
million men. and put them at work on
me land. Just as the men who are
nghting were drafted. Put them under
inc same conditions At that thcv'U he
better off than the boys at the front.
TOT they won't be risking their lives
ana nine-tcnths of them will come
hone-at harvest tiIne-with a back
to tho land bee in the bonnet.
IL this question is put squarcly I'D to
the people of this country-and our
desperate need eXplained-pubiic opin-
ion will back a draft. No one will
obJect-least Of all the men who have
TO go. And this is the only remedy in
sight. Get men to the farmer-now.