The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1918-05-17
Our Washington Letter


/
means of properly harvesting the
haviast crop planted in our history
! Assistant Secretary of Labor Post
requests Mr.. McAdoo to establish
half fare rate on the railroads Tor
farm labor. The heavy competltlon
of the factories in the demand Tor
! labor makes it necessary that the
| men who follow the harvest snail
find conditions favorable. Mr.. Post
thinks that the work can be mace
mora attractive by lower railroad
j fares.
The nature of farm work demands
flexible labor mal1et and a large
army of short time men in dlfrerent
states as the harvest natures. In
ordinary years there is a large Dod'
of casual laborers who follow the
harvest from Texas to Canada NOV
inp gradually north with the rlpsn--
ing grain. But because OF ths oe-
mand in the factories for unsklileo
labor the supply of harvest hands
promises to be smaller than ever be-
fore with a larger crop to handlea
VOLUNTEER HELP
REQUIRED.
It will be necessary to have the
regular farm help this year sup
plemented by volunteer workers "h'
do not ordinarily engage IN farm
work. For this reason it will be nee
| essary to provide extraordinary
means of transportation. Mr.. Pos
estimates that 100000 railroad trips
will be necessary for harvest worker
| Congressman Baer, in his bill T.
appropriate money to loan the farm
| ers to buy seeds and farm machlner'
| included provision for Transporting
labor. but as that bill is still lyinl
| dormant in a senate committee tn
| chances for it's passage seem so un
certain the Assistant Secretary 0
labor is trying to find other means
solving the most important probler
getting the crops harvested wlthou
waste.
II The food problem is looming u
| larger every day. 1t is predicted
some quarters that America is facln
II a food shortage next winter just
it found itself with a coal shortae
last winter. 1t is too early to MAJ
| accurate predictions as to the cond
# ton of the wheat crop. The weath'
in the next few weeks will be lare
determining factor, but it will be ne
essary to exert every effort to hal
vest successfully all of the wines
that maturas.
= FOOD SITUATION
= SERIOUS.
The food problem is beginning to a
tract attention from statisticians wi
do not refuse to look facts in the ia
One of them says in a recent artlcl
"We are not only headed to fo'
scarcity--we are entering the fir
stages. of it now and shutting o
ewes to the facts will not fill a sing
empty. stomach"
Congressman Baar warned Co
gress of this approaching conditie
but it was only by exerting every
fort that he was able to get cor
promise bill through the lower hou
The bill still languishes in the Sc
ate.
AS the sentiment developes t
agitation for price fixing continu
to gather strength. The injustice
fixing prides on some articles and 7
all is becoming apparent. More dr.;
tic measures are suggested on
sides. Perhaps they are best expr
sed in an article in a recent issue
the New Republic by Agnes c. La
in which she says, "The way to I
the cost of living in half to the blu!
and to double profits to the farmer
to cut out the intermediary priv;
profiteering pirate, who takes toll
both ends, expressing prices to
farmer by juggled and manipula
market lists, and by lacking up pri
to the buyer under cover of increa'
costs"
WHEAT PRICE
FIXING.
While the time has passed that
y | fixing of the price of wheat can h;
y any serious effect on production,