The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-02-27
VALLEY TACKLES
LABOR PROBLEMS
Bitter Root Farmers Prepare
for Rush Incident to
Field Work,

/, In order to combat the shortage of
labor during the planting and harves' 4
ing season the farmers Of the Bitter
Root win cooperate with the merch-
ants. During the present year, ac-
cordine to G.. w. Han II prominent
farmer living near Corvallis, who liz at
the Shapara on his way to the Flat
head reserya tion.
The farmers have organized anon"
themselves to find out their wants dur
ing the coming season. The country
about Hamilton. which win inc'nd.
The Darby, Corvallis and Victor sec
toms, will compose one disiric.. while
the region about Stcvensvilie in the
lower part of the county will impose
the other. The plan Is what Is tnoWn
rs the Norway system and is the one
suggested by the government Al
the available help will be linct MP.
For instance, one store viii agree to
furn sh so many clerks for certain
days. Then II farmer needs help hs
viii notify the district headquarters.
which will Re Hamilton, for the north
ON section OF the county. lie must,
however, let them know ah,ai o. time
snEt bow many men he W;tn:s ~ IN
what dfrs he wants them. Elderly
people will also aid In as many ways
~ they are able
The farmers have become affiliated
with the Hamilton Chamber OF Com
merce in the work. A meeting Is to be
called in the near future in order to
work out definite plans for the carry
ing out of the scheme
Mr.. Hall says that the outlook for
the fail crops is excellent and thai,
every available acre will be farme1
this spring. oats. wheat and peas will
re the main crops. The weather IN
the Bitter Root has been extremely
mild this winter and so far there has
been no ice at Hamilton.
Conditions on Reservation.
George II. Beckwith. president and
general manager of the Beckwith Mer-
camille company OF st. Ignatius, Is at
the Florence.
MIR. BeckWith reports that the farm
crs are beginning work for the com
ing season and are getting an early
start because they were able to do
much work during the mild weather
the first part of the winter. The win
ter wheat about st. Ignatius is In
good condition, but II is too early to
forecast what kind Of crop the
farmers will get.
Because Of the proximity of the mis-
sion to Ravalli, about five miles. the
railroad will not greatly affect that
region, Mr.. Beckwith says. Ravalll
win remain the shipping point OF st
lsnatius and motor trucks will be used
| TO transport the freight. business
| conditions about that locality are goof
| and the people are greatly interested
| In all patriotic work. MIR. Reckwtf
| said that the Farmers Equity societ.
! held a. patriotic meeting last Saturday
! night which was very largely attended
| There IL no Immediate concern feI
| because OF n labor shortage. Plan.
| are under way for the farmers to or.
| gantze and aid each other. Mr.. BECK
with said that the large amount o
machinery used by the farmers ha
made IL possible for them to get alonI
on less help than formerly
There Is also plan being worke,
out whereby the schools win hav
II three weeks vacation In the sprin,
TO enable the children to aid In tn
planting.
'"rhe farmers just now said NJ,
Beckwith. ARE greatly interested II
the seed bill The bankers an
merchants have been helping Their
also in order to aid in producing large
crops"
Because of the dry summer last yea
which has caused a scarcity of fee,
cattle on the reservation are not Yer
plentiful, according to T. Il. Egan.
cattle and horse dealer of Roman VIII
Is at the Florence. Mr.. Egan took
bunch of cattle east some time az
and has just returned to this sectio
from Iowa. a. @+ -'
He now has about 320 head of cattl
grazing in the Bitter Root around Vic
, tor where the feed is more plentiful
Hay around Roman. he says has bee
selling for $40 a ton and many of tn
farmers have been getting rid of thei
cattle.