Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-04-28

ECAUSE of the draft. the young
D mans tendency to drift city
I'M ward and the dire need of
~ strong. able-bodied men in I'm
Gle SAINTS war industries, reports are
current relative to an appalling short
are Of labor in every line of the worlds
sndeavor, but especially is this true of
the farm. Inasmuch as it has been re-
peatedly stated that food will win the
war the question OF sufficient farm
labor is Of unusual Importance.
A largo majority of farmers have
crown utterly discouraged over the sit
nation. and though laudably patriotic
and anxious to assist in every way they
can in order to help win a swift and
smashing victory in the war. they de-
clare the futility OF trying to make two
blades of wheat grow where but one
grew before. They are perfectly aware
OF the inestimable Importance or the
food question. but conditions In the
labor world certainly seem to initiate
Farmers Of North Dakota. Maine.
Georgia, Vermont Ohio. Texas. Florida.
indiana and n number of other states
have all declared that their acreage
this season will OF necessity be far be
low normal because Of their inability
70 secure reliable and efficient iahor.
The experience OF farmers In the corn
TO hear Untold quantities of corn are
said TO have gone to waste ana actuail!
spoiled. great as the need for every
cause men could not be obtained to
handle It. Naturally this IS an expert
Snce neither farmer nor any other man
wishes to see repeated.
So
90 RN1I
suggested that il the farmer were Will
ing to pay a better wage he would have
less trouble in getting men to handle
his crops. But the farmer holly re-
pudiates this hint. and maintains that
II II not a question OF money at al. and
that sufdcient labor for farm OF any
appreciable size cannot be found at
any price.
The question of labor shortage has
rapidly assumed threatening aspect
and has grown to great proportions.
Uncle Sam knows that his own people
their source Of food must be for the
most part this country. As the result
Of q somewhat alarming situation the
Department of Labor has been com
PEELED to work hard and fast. early
and late. Investigations have been con-
Quoted. authorities have been inter
viewed. experts CONSUMED ana inc ue-
partment now assures the public that
il IL fully equipped and entirely capable
Of handling the labor situation. This
department has secured the co-opera-
ticn Of the Post ONCE Department, the
Department of Agriculture and the
state councils Of defense In order to
bring its work UP to the desired EN-
cheney.
In their reconnaissance Of the farm
ing sections Of the whole nation the
Department of Labor found that much
Of the labor shortage difficulty was
purely local, and that. furthermore,
these local conditions frequently ex-
cited scareheads which, were full OF
more or less hysteria and sensational
ism and provocative of considerable
future trouble inasmuch as they fright
ened the public quite unnecessarily.
For example. rumors have emanated
from Kansas City and vicinity relative
to the deplorable labor shortage In that
cart Of the country, when. as mat.
Ter of fact, a thorough investigation OF
local conditions by experts has reveal
ed no shortage, and the Kansas City
ONCE Of the United States employment
service has not had the slightest DIM
Guilty in flling all calls for laborers UP
20 the present time. Again. of DOZEN
large and important industrial centers
only two have experienced any Dell
cheney in their number Of workers.
The Department Of Labor makes the
request that any and all employers VINO
feel themselves seriously Handicapped
because Of inferior numbers among