The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-04-24


community expects to be a New York
or a Chicago some day. 1t is natural.
We are born that way. And, because
we believe we can do anything, and
because we back up our confidence
with an abundance Of hard work
why, we usually succeed in doing it.!
All of which is by way OF saylns
that individuals. and communities
throughout the country faced farm
la Dor shortages last year-and solved
their problems. Various methods
were used-emergency volunteer
workers from towns and cities. high
school boys, country labor bureaus.
The labor question is pressing and
perpexing one now. Government
agencies are doing everything they
can. But, after all, individual initia-
tive and action must be relied upon
largely. YOU--your town-your coun'
ty-can do what other people, other
towns, other counties did last year.
And here are some OF the things they
diy:
In Hood River county, Oregon,
which is fruit country, the schools
were closed during apple picking
time, so both pupils and teachers
could go to the orchards. Practically
all the stores closed one-half of each
day and all the employees worked at
apple picking and packing. Through
out the county owners of automobiles
and trucks gave the use OF their ma
chimes to carry the workers to and
from the fields. These measures en-
dbled the apple growers O save crOy
much of which would have been lost
otherwise.
In Maine the labor shortage that
threatened potato loss was relieved
10 quite an extent by training. camp
boys, or Junior Volunteers" These
boys, from l6 to 81 years of age,
were modified at a state training
camp, given short course in prac-
teal farm work and were sent to the
potato fields. and other farms, where
help was needed. They were under
military discipline and were uniform
ed and carefully supervised at all
times. =ar. -. ... 49,:
A boys camp was conducted near
PhOenixville, Pa, where a tWO-Weeks
training course was planned. Accord
ing to reports front that section these
boys went at their work so earnestly
and were so anxious to give satisfac'
ton that it became difficult to keep
them at the camp for the full period
OF training-farmers wanted them be-
fore they had completed the prescrib'
ed course.
.Wasco County, Oregon, foresaw a
shortage of labor for cherry picking
and the Chamber of Commerce, OF The
Dalles arranged, in advance of the har'
vest, for the cooperation OF the Port
land Free Employment bureau In get
ting workers to the, county when
needed, About 200 pickers were Sc
cured and 1000 tons of cherries were
harvested, crop loss being averted
by the local labor needs having been
anticipated and arranged for. I -.
In Adams county, Pennsylvania, the
apple crop OF the South Mountain Belt
needed pickers, and no labor was
available From two of the manual
training high schools of Philadelphia
fortyeight boys went to this section
and worked in. the orchards, living
in camps which were in charge of SUI
pervisors from the school or Y. M
G. A., moving from orchard to or
chard as they were needed. L,
; In two boys camps in Arizona last
year 129 boys hoed 1000 acres OF cot
ton and cultivated IS acres OF melons
and 25. acres of potatoes.
In an Indiana county the head of a
big cannery saw that the local truck
supply, upon which he depended
would be greatly curtailed unless the
labor shortage was relieved. He did
int want to have to shut down his
; canning factory So he financed a
bows \training camp and the forty boys
. who weer trained there supplied the
, truckers with enough labor to carry
; the gardens through in good shape.
81 -
, Cherries were harvested In Door
; county, Wisconsin, by $50 boys in a
. Y. NJ. c.. A. camp and by a smaller
number of boys in a boy-scOut camp
the first outfit from Milwaukee and
) the second from Chicago. The boys
! lived in buildings at the fair grounds
! converting them, into temporary bar
racks. They were under semi-military
discipline, as was the case in practic'
ally all boy camps throughout the
country. ,%E.z s- ...
The Secretary ofthe Y. N. c. A. at
La Grande. Ore, last year was made
labor agent Of that county and all the
business men and city authorities CO.
operated with the farmers in securing
labor. Transient laborers were re-
auired to register with the labor agent
, and either go to work or move on.
In Wallowa county, Oregon, ten
farmers in one locality, being unable
to get any outside help, Joined forces
and by all working upon first one
place and then another, as conditions
demanded, succeeded in saving the
crops on each of the ten farms-prin'
cipally hay and grain-thus avoiding
the loss that would have been newt
, able If they had not pooled their ct.
forts or secured outside help. -,
In Boulder county, Colorado, coun'
ty labor exchange was established
with six branches in as many towns
; in various parts of the county, each
exchange conducted by the CONNER
cial secretary Of the town, or by some