The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-06-30
Big Kansas Wheat Counties
Must Have Help at Once.
Special Trains May Be Run
From Eastern Cities.
IN PLEA TO STATE JOURNAL
Beloit Bank Asks Aid in Pro-
curing 1000 Harvesters.
j. Will Kelley Is Busy Trying
To Help Farmers.

It would require 10000 men to fill
all the orders for help from various
/ parts of the state now in the hands
| of the employment bureau, ]. Will
Kelley. director said today. The har-
! vest in the northern part of the state
| south and central portions is getting
SO ripe that immediate cutting is i'm
perative, it was declared.
| The problem of getting the thou
sands of idle men now in eastern
! cities into Kansas is the chief worry
| of the employment bureau at the pres
ent time. Letters were sent out to
| all the county farm agents asking
| them to ascertain the sentiment of
| the farmers with regard to paying the
| transportation of the men to the har-
| vest fields, but the few replies re-
cefved so far are not encoura ging. 1t
seems that the farmers are not so
| adverse to the expense as they are
| sceptical in regard to getting the men
! after their transportation has been
paid.
| May Run Special Trains.
It may develop that special trains
will be loaded in st. Louis and other
| cities with these idle men under
| guard, and hurried to the wheat fields,
Kelley stated. This plan. he believes,
would result in very small losses. The
problem of working out a concise plan
such as this in time to save the wheat
! crop, however, is a gigantic one.
The harvest in Oklahoma still hangs
on, tying up several thousand men
badly needed here. 1t is believed that
| the work in the southern state should
be over today or tomorrow. however,
in which case about 1000 men could
be released and rushed northward.
This would relieve the situation to a
| great extent.
Mitchell county alone needs 1000
! nd hn 70
| willing to pay good wages. 1t was sale.
A letter to the State Journal from the
First National bank of Beloit reads as
follows:
] Mitchell county is in need of 1000
| good men to assist the farmers in
harvesting their wheat. No objection
| to color, so long as good men are sent.
Satisfactory wages, including board
and lodging. Can you assist in rout-
4 ing some men this way? Anything
you can do will be appreciated.
Counties Needing Help.
The counties where the situation is
most critical and the number of men
urgently needed are. in addition to
Mitchell: Comanche, 800: Clark. 500;
Meade 500; Ford. 500: Mcpherson.
1900; Ellsworth, 500; Phillips, 800; Re-
public. 500. and Russell, 500. Russell
will use 80 colored men II they can be
| obtained. In addition to these. other
western counties are beginning to cut
and will need thousands of men this
| week.
Grasshoppcrs Are Appearing.
Kansas City, Mo-, June 30.-The
harvest situation in Kansas wheat
fields reached a critical stage today.
Thousands of laborers are needed
most Immediately in southern Kansas
and relief must be forthcoming soon
in the northern counties. according to
officials of the government employ
ment bureau here.
Grasshoppers Appearing.
Together with calls for harvest
hands came a report that grasshop.
pers were appearing in some fields
4 age was by immediate harvest of the
wheat crop.
Word was being awaited at Topeka
from the federal railroad administra-
tion in answer to an appeal yesterday
from Governor Henry J. Allen, asking
for reduction to one-cent a mile fare
for harvest hands. The appeal was
based on the report that thousands OF
men are available at st. Louis and
fare, even though many farmers are
offering refunds to get men.
Send Out S. o. S. Calls.
Local Labor Director Barkman sem
calls to Chica go, st. Louis, Little
Rock. Memphis and other points
asking all possible assistance in send
ing men to Kansas.
The lowest estimate of immediate
!, aid to save the wheat crop today
stood at ten thousand men, some esti-
mates running as high as a 25,0O(
minimum figure
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