The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-04-05
labor FOR THE FARMS !.
LEAGUE TAKES ACTION
How To Make Use Of Migrants
Who Float Into Town
TALK BY M. A. BENEDICT
Resolution Calling For Ousting
Of German From Public
Scht OILS
From Tuesdays Daily.


mittee was appointed at the meeting
held in the city council chamber
last evening to work out solution.
The league addressed resolution
of inquiry to Minnesota's senators at
Washington as to why some action
has not yet been completed in regard
to the conduct of Senator Robert M
La Toilette
Another resolution declared against
the teaching of German to children
below the eighth grade and against
the German language.
Five new members were admitted
to the league by unanimous vote: w
H. Detamore, county superintendent
of schools; F. S. Langes, M. r.
Benedict, G. NJ Palmer and George
Pond.
M. R. Benedict, county agricultural
agent, briefly addressed the assem-
blage. He said that while there were
five or six calls for farm help that
had not been filled, there was at tie
present time no serious shortage. But
he thought that as the haying and
harvesting and threshing season
comes on, there was apt to be a seri-
Gus shortage of labor on the farms
He spoke Of the Migrants that came
through Mankato every summer. He
said that in Texas, the vagrant labor
that was picked up by the authori-
ties was placed at the disposal OF
the county agent. However, there
80 nj svfx ~
seventy five per cent of the. Migrants
were found to be undesirable help.
Another plan suggested by Mr.. Ben
edict was to have men that live in
the city spend their spare time by
going out .in the country to lend a
hand to help the farmers.
John E. Regain suggested that a
committee of five be appointed to
study the farm labor problem and the
best way of meeting it.
George w. Smithson spoke in favor
of the plan of having the business
men of the city go out to help the
farmers. He said that in some places
business men had signed up pledges
to extend such help to farmers.
DR.. M. B. Wood doubted whether
men who had had no training in farm
work could give help that would be
of much value on the farm.
George Black thought there were
plenty of men in the city, with time
to spare, who could go out and do
work on the farms.
A motion by Mr.. Regain was passed,
providing that a committee of five be
appointed to take up the problem and
study it out. Judge w. L. Comstock,
who presided, appointed the follow
ing on that committee: M. r. Bene-
dict, J. e. Regain, DR.. M. B. Wood,
George Pond and George Black.
The Law and The Vagrant.
Judge Comstock stated that there
was a law providing for the compul-
sorry labor of those who had been
committed to Jail as punishment for
an offense. A man could thus be
made to work out his fine at the rate
of $3.50 a day. He spoke of a plan
that had been worked out satisfac :
torily here by the joint action of the
city and county authorities for the
employment of vagrant labor. But a
careless guard one day let a prisoner
get away and the result was that the
record had to go down on the sher-
ifs books as prisoner that escaped
from his custody. i. The sheriff COM
planned that he thus had on his hands
a responsibility, without the CORES
ponding authority, and he did not
like such escapes to be placed against
his record. Since that time the sys
tenn had been for the most part
abandoned But it could be worked out
all right. He thought a system to
make such men work could be car
ried out with success, but he did not
think the great majority of these men
would be found satisfactory on farm.
Eight out of every ten of them would
be useless there.
He also spoke of the probability of
members of the 1. w. w. coming here
this coming season and trying to
spread their propaganda. He said
this should not be permitted. The
mere fact of their belonging to that
was enough for their
arrest and conviction.
Professor George J. Miller spoke
of laws that had been adopted in New
Jersey and elsewhere to make vag
rants work. He thought the state
safety commission could be induced
to enact some such regulation.
Judge Comstock said the state Of
had the first and best va
grancy law of all. All the machinery
to take care of such men was at hand.
All that needed to be done was to
put it in operation.
) R. E. Brown thought the league
should ask the cooperation of the
city authorities in getting the wand
ering class of men put to work. He
made motion to that effect and it
was carried.
Word From Representatives.
Mr.. Brown, who was secretary, read
from various repre-
sentatives of this state in congress,
with regard to the proposition against
publication of periodicals in this
in the German language.
Congressman Thomas D. Schall said
he matter would receive his earnest
attention. Senator Knute Nelson said
the idea was not bad one, but he
thought it would be hard to get such