Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-06
CALLS ON MEN OF CITIES TO HELP
FARMERS

are not planning to put out as large
an acreage of cultivated crops If
they can leave some land in grass
and pasture live stock on it,"
From Illinois. 1.-TWO representa-
tivees have been out in the field
of instances whre farm help seems
to be practically impossible to get.
In general, farmers in Champagne
county and other counties are paying
married or single men with the
usual perquisites, and farmers in
DeKalb county are. paying from $50
to SIS per month"
From Iowa. 1.-THE farm labor Sit
uation is not especially bright. Prices
decline and bid fair to decline still
further. At the same time indus
trial plants are able to pay high
enough prices SO that they can at
though the net saving might be
no greater in town, living. conditions
appear to be more congenial and the
tendency is to desert the farms"
From Massachusetts. I'VE find
that the farm labor situation ieoa IN
Competition of manufacturing indus
try with agriculture is very intense.
The commissioner of agriculture esti-
mates rs per cent shortage in farm
LABOR. Inc worcester 1dIIl
bureau, serving the largest county
in the state, estimates a decreased
production of 20 per cent due to
lack of help"
From Minnesota. "The manager Of
the employment office condu ;ted
| Jointly by The United States depart
ment of labor and the state depart
ment of labor, reports that farmers
| for the most part are offering $40
| to SIS per month, plus board and
washing, but that it is somewhat diff
ficult to supply the demand at that
can be secured at $50 per month"
From Ohio "Near the larger man
as Akron, Youngstown. and Cleve-
land, the farm labor, situation is
! are paying up to 500 per month,
with privileges, for men in that sec
ton of the state. Very little good
help can be secured at much less
than SIS or $50. Many farmers in
their acreage on account of labor
From Pennsylvania. 1--WE consider
our farm labor situation in this
state the most serious that it has
eyer been eve even more 3bs than dufing
paid in Industries and cities. A
number Of farmers in Cambria coun-
ty paid SIS per month during the
war, even during the winter, and
recently their men quit. :: :, The
dairy farmers are ESPECIALLY hard hit.
The big tendency of the farm
ers of today seems to be to cut
down their farms to just what they
can handle themselves with the aid
soon as the children are large enough
they follow the same trail that the
hired men took"
From Rhode Island. "Our farmers
are finding the labor situation more
serious than at any time in the rec
objection of farmers now living.
Manufacturing industries are paying
so high for labor that the farmers
are afraid to compete"
From Wisconsin. "In connection
with meetings which have attend
ed during the last four to six weeks
I have found that the attitude of
| farmers almost invariably has been
that they would do what they could
they do not feel justified under ex-
! listing conditions in hiring this high
| priced labor. One man told me he
was going to reduce his actual crop
acreage by about 20 per cent, re
verting to the situation that existed
on his farm prior to the war"
While the great majority Of re-
| ports show the farm labor situation
| to be unfavorable a few correspond
ents report that their states will be
| able to continue PRODUCTION at about
| the normal basis. In Idaho for ex-
| ample, there is no apparent labor
shortage and county agents antici-
| pate no shortage until haying season
| Reports from different parts of Ne
braska indicate that the farm labor
supply is being fairly we'll met. This
| usual demand for help during the
| harvesting and threshing seasons is
|