Imperial Valley press., 1919-08-22
Increasing Demand Result
ing from Road and Other
Work for Seasonal Labor
ers is Putting a Severe
Strain Upon Supply.
SUGGESTION TO
FARM BUREAU
Great Opportunity for One
to Solve Problem of La
Dor Turnover in a Way to
Secure Permanent Supply

Imperial valleys need for Season
al' laborers will be greater during
the coming season than ever before
and according to all reports the sup
ply Of this kind of labor will be less
than during the wartime period. The
reasons for this given by those who
are familiar with conditions are that
there is developing an unprecedented
demand for laborers in all parts of the
country, and the supply heretofore
drawn from Europe which growing
activities have been met is cut
off and not likely to be renewed for
some years.
One cause for the great demand is
the extensive road building in every
part Of the country. The appriXi-
mate hundred million dollars that Cal
ifornia state and counties are to put
into new roads is duplicated in some
degree in every state in the union.
This, of course means a great demand
upon labor which has heretofore look
ed mainly to the farmer for employ
ment.
Another very important factor is
the approaching great demands for
maintenance and extension work on
the railroad rights-o f-way. During
the war this work was kept down to
minimum and as result there is
an enormous amount of it to be done.
Extensive power and irrigation de-
velopment projects are also making
their demands upon this supply of la
bor and their draft upon it will be
greatly increased as financial condi-
items become gradually adjusted to
the after-war activities.
The Imperial Valley Fran Bureau.
it is suggested, could take up this
constantly recurring problem by con-
sidering it from the angle of attract
ing to the valley type of labor that
could by reason of superior induce
ments offered here become part of
its permanent population. 1t has been
found that labor-turnover is the most
expensive thing in industry. How
great it is is well Illustrated by a
statement made by Edison after he
paid visit to the Ford plant. In ans
wer to remark the great inventor
said: "Henry Ford is paying twice
the wages l pay but he has got cheap
er labor than l have got" The explain
alton was that before Ford introduced
his minimum $500 wage and profit
sharing plan his labor turnover in
his plant each year amounted to
almost one-half in per of his entire
force. 1t has since been reduced to
a nominal percentage.
What is true about the wasteful-
ness of labor turnover in other in
dustries is true of the farm. Its la
Dor is constantly changing and with
these changes there is continuous
loss of efficiency.
At the time, few weeks ago, when
the government employment office in
Ell Centro had to be discontinued be-
cause congress refused to appropriate
enough money to keep up the service
it was said that the lowest estimate
of cost in time and other ways to the
farmer represented by each new hand
was $3.50. This initial cost is, how
ever, the least item in the total cost,
the greatest cost being the ineffi-
cheney of the new hand and the time
lost in breaking him in.
Captain Miner, who is operating
as fermers' service bureau, the en-
ployment office he formerly conduct
ed for the government is decidedly of
the opinion that Imperial valley will
have more jobs than there will be
good men to fill them during the COM
ling season.