Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1918-02-28

Appear Four Times Each Week
The labor situation on the farm is
] 30 serious, in the opinion of Miss Mary
Bacon of Kent, who has for a number
of years operated farm known as
Cobble Croft, that the help thus far
offered by women volunteers has been
'only a drop in the proverbial bucket
and such big bucket" She suggests
that in spite of the prejudice against
them, Chinese coolies coald be used in
the spring and summer to relieve the
situation. She says:
Gas practical farmer living on the
rough New England farm bought by
my forefathers in the fourth year of
the reign of George III. am vitality
interested in the rural labor problem.
We farmers are keen to do our share
to win the wal, but we cannot achieve
the impossible, we cannot do it with
out hired help. What the coal situa-
tion now Is, the labor situation soon
will be! Modified labor may relieve
the industrial centers, but it will not
help the nall rural farmer.
nized by the government, the women
going in units of ten or twelve into
small towns and villages, camping out
or renting empty houses and going out
for daily work at wages of inexperi-
enced labor, might save the situation,
But can women's labor be organized in
the short time remaining before plow
ing and planting? Business may be
made to stand still to relieve che coal
congestion, but the seasons wait for no
man.
'The admirable work for agriculture
being done by college girls and girls
from school and other institutions is
the proverbial drop in the bucket-and
such big bucket g.,
SIT was not an Intentional breach Of
faith that the farmers did not get the
help promised them last summer; the
help simply did not exist. The situa-
ton is now obviously far more acute.
The farmer 10 human and he is shy of
being bitten twice by the same dog
Still, for love of country, thousands
will plant more than they can take
care of. They should be shown the help
now; they will need it in few weeks.
$50 the farmer the classification of
all-round farm labor as unskilled
seems fundamental error. Any one
with muscle can dig di6ch, but not
everyone with muscle can plant or hoe
corn, top tobacco, or manage team
hitched to moving machine in lot
dotted by boulders of Connecticut
granite, and top off morning ard even
ing by milking ten COWS.
'But if we must have unskilled
farm labor, at least, let us heve it in
dustrious, Intelligent and adapted to
our northern climate. If women cannot
now belorganized in time to help. why,
as someone has suggested, should not
Congress authorize the importations
for limited period of limited num-
Der of Chinese coolies. We know the
Chinese are good workers and economi-
cal livers. They are going through
Canada by trainloads: They are max
ing France to blossom like q rose
There may be reluctance to admit
them here, but it n, longer appears to
be case Of pick and choose-our need
is too great and too Immediate.
In one OF the series of made in.
Connecticut War Interviews with
Women obtained by the Connecticut
State Council of Defense, Mrs. L:.cre.
ola 8. ltUummings of Plantsvilie, q
member Of the Southington board of
education, describes war work done or
10 besdone through the schools OF the
state. II She says that one Of the most
important accomplishments OF the
schools has been the spreading among
foreign born adults Of the war doctrines
outlined by the President and other
national leaders as explained to the
pupils by, their teachers. A great mum.
Der of parents, she says, have earned
through their children of the real wal
aims and motives Of the United Statesl
many Of whom would probably have
held distorted views IL they had beer
left to rely on their ordinary limited
sources of inform alton. Mrs. Cumming
said:
"The question Of what the school,
can do to meet the war needs of the
country is in part very easily answered
because we can simply refer to what
the hools have actually done already
What more they may do will develop
as time goes on, but for the present
what they have done and are doing
forms long and inspiring chapter il
war work Children and young peoplf
love to help in The work of their elders
and in this case, under little wise
direction and inspiration, their collec
tive accomplishments amount to moth
ing less than don mans job. Eacl
child's contribution is small but tn
sum total of their achievement is yer.
large and destined to be larger.
"One cf their earliest activities wa
in school and home arden work, com
mencing in the sprIng under schoo