Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1919-03-07
STATE
CAPITAL
soys needed On Farms.

To aid in preventing a world fam
inc Col. Clinton L. Riggs. director
Of the United States Boys Working
Reserve, wants 1000 boys between
the ages Of 10 and 21 years to spend
two months on farms in this State.
Colonel Riggs and his fellow-work-
srs want to provide the farmers OF
Maryland with the necessary labor to
harvest their crops during the latter
part OF June, July and August, and
probably in September as well To
this end a meeting will be held at
Mccoy Hall. when the enrolment
campaign will be started II will be
a To-day drive to roundup all Of the
boys wno took advantage Of the op-
portuuity last year and also to bring
twice as many more into this most
important work.
Colonel Riggs has made a close
study of the farm situation and de-
elares that The boys viii be needed
even more this year than they we're
last. Last year more than 100 Mary
land lads, including seminarians.
went to various places in Maryland
and. though unskilled in the methods
OF the farm, many of them soon be-
came quite efficient and did better
work than many Of the farm hands
who had been on the Job for many
years
The work OF recruiting the boys
last year was handled through the
Maryland Council OF Defense, with
Frank B. Calm in charge This de-
partment has now been handed over
to the Department Of Agriculture
with Colonel Riggs in charge De-
spite the fact that many returned
soldiers have gone back to the soil
the shortage Of farm labor still is
acute In fact, investigation shows
that the conditions are worse than
they we're just before this country
entered the war when, in Maryland
alone, the farm labor was short 5000
men. The boys Of the United States
through their efforts last year
brought forth a crop yield sufficient
to feed 100000 soldiers overseas
for one year. Herbert Hoover. Di-
rector-General Of the American Re
lief Administration, is authority for
the statement that Europe will need
20,O0O,000 tons Of foodstuffs, COM
pared 10 the demand Of 100000
tons which was made in this country
last year. That is where the work
OF the boys will come in
THE war may be over" said
Colonel Riggs after conference with
many leading farm experts of the
State, but the demand for boys to
recruit the Boys Working Reserve
Army is more urgent today than it
was year ago feel sure that
practically every one of the boys who
were on the job last year will be
again this year and will endeavor to
induce their friends and associates
to help. When the boys returned to
Polytechnic and City Collese last fall
they were in better physical condi-
tion than when they went away.
They appeared to be more interested
in their work at school and went
about their duties with d new en-
thusiasm.
"Out OF this plan surely will come
many farmers OF the future This
will help in making the farm land
of our State. as we'll as Of other
States, more valuable, and it will
mean better crops. Before any youth
is permitted to work and live on any
farm the place is inspected by a rep
resentative Of the State Board Of
Health. Through this plan many
farmers who last year had boys on
their farms now have more sanitary
homes. / hope that the parents OF
boys in high schools and colleges will
take advantage of the opportunity to
be present at the meeting at Mccoy
Hall"
The Office in Mccoy Hall will be
open daily for the purpose of en-
rolling the boys and OF hearing from
farmers who will need their help this
summer. At all OF the colleges.
preparatory schools, private schools,
parochial schools and other institu-
tions where boys Of the proper age
may be found, teachers and principals
have enrolment blanks and general
instructions on the subject and will
be glad to furnish information to
anyone desiring it.