The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-07-20
COUNTY AGENTS ! |,
SHY AT FIXING
OF FARM WAGES
Slope Agricultural Experts Ad.
nit the Proposition Is
Skittish One ar,
DISCUSSES HELP PROBLEM

Slope agricultural agents, assembled
here in regional conference this week,
were introduced to the farm labor
wage fixing problem, said "Howdy-
do and then begged to be excused
1t was proposition which they de-
clined to embrace with any enrhus.
lasm, and 1t was the general verdict
that the question was one which
should be left to each community to
decide for itself. AS result there
will be no attempt to fix IA Uniform
farm labor wage scale for the whole
slope.
Fifty per cent of the Slope counties
reported that owing to the light crop
they could handle the harvest with
their farm labor reserve, without out.
side assistance. The remaiuind fifty
per cent reported they must have out
side help in numbers ranging from 100
to 500. This outside help will he
handled so far as possible through
the government free employment bu-
reaus. A labor secretary will be nam
ed in each town to cooperate with the
federal bureaus.
While prospects for light crop IN
the western half of North Dakota
have somewhat simplified tho labor
problem, the 1918 harvest will present
unusual difficulties, in the opinion Of
the states county agricultural agents.
To insure the saving of every busheL
Of grain no able-bodied man or boy
can be spared during harvest, except
to the most essential industries, de-
clare the county agents. North Da'
kota will need, they believe, v0lun
teer army Of at least 10000 workers.
and the cities and towns must furnish
these workers. Because this volun-
teer help will be inexperienced and un,
trained to a large extent, the supply
must be twice as large as would be
required were drilled farm hands
available
Beginning next Monday, 5000 North
Dakota select service men, probably
fifty per cent of whom are actual farm
ers, will be entrained for Camp Custer,
Mich. During August it is antitcipat-
ed that as many more will be taken,
and the August calls must be filled
almost entirely with farmers who have
had deferred classificatins because of
their occupations. The class one men
in q number of agricultural counties
already are exhausted. Governor
Frazier and Commissioner of Agricul-
ture Hagan have impressed upon Pro.
vost Marshal General Crowder the i'm
pOrtance of deferring these calls to
insure the proper harvesting of the
1918 crop. Provost Marshal General
Crowders reply to them has been the
same that he previously had made to-
other states: THE most important
thing is the war-it must come first"
!, The Slopes wheat yield probably
will not exceed seven bushels to the
acre. Winter rye also will be light in
the western half of the state, and the
oats yield is still in doubt. With in
experienced help, however, the county
agents estimate that as many men will
be needed to harvest the prospective
10000, O0O!bushels of wheat estimated
for this year as were required to care
for the states great 159,000,000 bush
ell crop in 1915. The wage question
is as vexing as that of labor itself. 1t
is probable that few harvest hands
will be found at less than forty, cents
an hour, and states to the south OF
North Dakota already are paying fifty
cents and better. An attempt will be
made to find an equitable oasis for
wage fixing, but the county agents are
approaching this subject with more
hesitancy.