Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1919-07-10
SCARCITY OF FARM LABOR

Audubon county farmers are real
ly having more difficulty in getting
their labor performed this year than
they did a year ago at this time.
This is partly due to the fact that a
great many of the Audubon county
boys from the farms were not called
until later in the season and while a
large majority of our boys have re-
turned there are still great many
who are not yet home. However the
principal reason for the present
shortage is the fact that lot of men
who went away as hired men from
| the farms last year are not return
ing to their jobs this year but the
army has been the cause of their
wanting to take up different line OF
work, principally staying in the
cities where they have the opportun-
| ity of avoiding lonesomeness. AT
least this is the way they apparently
look at it
At this time it is a very good OPP
portunity for farmers to consider re-
| adjustment of their Farming business
with the idea of efficiently employing
labor. The present high prices OF
land are going to make it necessary
that the land produce on its estimat-
ed valuation. Accordingly it has to
produce more per scre and in order
| to do this it is necessary that it be
handled more efficiently than it has
been. In other words, better prep
aration of the seed bed, more careful
selection of seed, more thorough cul-
! tivation of the growing crop and bet
! ter management in the harvesting OF
| the same is necessary. All this re-
quires more labor.
Apparently it is going to be impos-
sible for the farmers to depend on
| getting a man in whom he can really
place confidence any time he may
care to pick him up. The labor sit
uation is not flexible enough to per-
NIT this under the present conditions
A great deal of improvement in the
way of building, both city and coun'
try improvements, road making. ETC.,
is ahead of US in the years to come
and the floating labor will prefer to
work at this line of work in prefer
ence to farm work. With this sit
uation to contend with it is really UP
to the farmer to so adjust his farm
business if he is depending upon hir-
ed help so he may employ man pro-
fitably the year around and the beau
ty of this method of farm manage
ment is that it tends to keep up the
fertility of the soil in as much as ii
requires the maintenance of lot OF
| live stock.
| The farmer will also find that the
most satisfactory hired help in the
long run is going to be the married
man, and those who prepare for this
are going to be the ones who can best
keep good men working for them.
| furthermore, our whole proposition
| in the hiring of farm labor is based
on the so-called monthly wage, some
times being so graduated as to the
different times of the year depending
on the amount of work to be done at
any particular time. The most sue
cessful business houses, especially the
large manufacturers are now employ
| ing men on a sort of commission
basis. In as much as the farmer
should keep records of his farming
business, especially that he NAV
make correct income tax reports, why
then could he not hire men on ,he
basis of farm returns. that is sup
pose he was successful in securing
good farm hand, whether he was
married or single. He could hire
the man from one years end to the
other at a stipulated monthly wage
and assure the man that If he staid
with him, and performed his work
properly throughout the entire year
and the crops were marketed with
profitable results that he would give
him a certain percentage of that
profit. This certainly should De a
means of stimulating the man TO take
an interest in the care of the en-
ployer's farm. crops, live stock, etc.
In other words this is soft of making
partner cut of your good man.
This thought is given on. from the
county agents office as means oil
helping out in the present critical la
Dor situation. II is hoped that these
thoughts are worth while.
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