New-York tribune., 1918-07-28
Lacks Farm Labor,
But Kansas Wheat
Crop Will Be Big
Corn Acreage Periodically
Reduced Because World
Was Calling for Flour

Especial Correspondence Of The Tribune)
WICHITA, Kan, July 27.-As you 60
southwest from St. Louis over the top
Of the Ozarks and into the Oklahoma
and Kansas plains you get vivid idea
as to how farreaching and important is
the problem of farm labor. You have
only to use your eyes to realize that
comparatively small part of the arabic
land you pass is actually under cult
walton; less than third is the story
of statistics. Necessarily some land is
devoted to pastures, but beyond that
every farm has its portion of woodland
hoe or the plough. The reason why, as
was learned from numerous farmers
and from several experts of the state
agricultural colleges, is solely from
are of lesser fertility. Obviously, the
farmer does not voluntarily allow all
this potentially productive capital to be
merely the subject Of taxes.
One serious difficulty, as one Of the
agricultural professors of the Univer-
sity of Missouri states, is that farm
save within q comparatively narrow
compass, and consequently does not
offer constant and consecutive employ
ment to those whom it must have at
seeding time and at harvest time.
Hence, it is only at harvest time, now
just passed, when it is possible for the
farmer to offer attractive wages--$5
day and found" as Southwestern
farmers have recently been doing, and
thus attracting workmen from the large
cities for the time being. Because of
the superfuity of land, or rather, lack
of labor, the farmers of the Southwest
are extensive and not intensive farm
ers, as the same armchair agricultu-
rists would have them be.
Most Productive Farmers
In talking with the farmers l found
that their native good sense had set
the unit of quantity reproduction as per
man and not per acre, as nothing else
was possible under the conditions sur
rounding them. Consequently they are
per unit Of man-the most produc-
tive farmers in the world, just as
American workmen are similarly the
most productive of their class in any
country.
AS you travel it becomes obvious
that this season the farmer in the
Southwest "seen his duty and done it,"
He cut down somewhat the acreage of
corn and planted even more wheat in
proportion, because the world was call
ing him, and without waiting to rest
from the strenuous days of harvest he
is everywhere out in the fields, with
early fall plowing for more wheat next
spring, and is adding tractors to his
equipment as never before, that he
may sow a record breaking acreage of
winter wheat this fall. Yet he has time
to crowd meetings where war savings
stamps are sold, and those who do not
come and buy are getting their names
posted in unpleasantly conspicuous
places.
There is much early corn in Eastern
Missouri that needs rain badly and is
tasselling prematurely, but further
west and and southwest recent general
rains have about made a great corn
crop even out to the confines of West
ern Kansas, where In July it usually
rains only once every little while.
Therefore, Wichita is rejoicing be-
cause it already has harvested in the
Kansas territory tributary to it about
AZ per cent of the nearly 1OO,0O000O
bushel winter wheat crop, and great
yield of corn will fill it's cup to salts
faction to the brm.
Wichita a Prosperous City
No one can tell you, not even the
Chamber of Commerce boosters, just
why is Wichita. 1t is not "key" to
any special trade territory, nor the
gateway" to any particular business
section, yet it is the largest city in
Kansas, and mingles and modities it's
city atmosphere with plainsmen and
ranchmen, who throng its streets as
they have done ever since it was a
boom town and small distributing
centre to sparsely settled Kansas
plains.
1t has lived through panics. booms
droughts when all vege tation shriv-
elled and burned up, because it had
courage and "sand'' enough to stay
in the game and hold the line intact.
1t is full Of farmer and ranchmen
customers who are buying freely
things Of expense and merit, and
every one of them owns an auto
mobile.
Most of all it is the metropolis of
an Oil district where more prospecting
and sinking Of wells is going on than
in any other section of the country
The producing field is gradually ex-
tending its bounds eastward. north
ward and southwark, though Eldorado
still continues to be the centre of the
principal producing district The oil
| fields, as sudden and constant ere
ators of wealth. make gold mining
camp seem of small consequence
Wichita has the real boom of its
existence, and it seems to have a solid
and enduring basis SO long as the
price of oil continues at its present
figures. So it is building a fine new
hotel and great new structure,
occupying nearly a block, where its
annual fair will be held, and is
greatly content with things as they
are.