Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1920-04-17
SHORTAGE Of HELP
LATE SPRING.; GRIEF.
AHEAD FOR FARMER
Ia SALE COUNTY AGRICULTUR.
ISTS FACE SERIOUS SITUATION
AS A RESULT OF BElATEO SEA-
SON WHICH COMES IN WAKE
OF LABOR SCARCITY.

La Sale county farmers are almost
two weeks behind in their spring
planting and much depends upon the
weather from now on whether nor
NAL crop viii be produced this year.
In the last week where the soil has
dried sufficiently farmers have been
busy getting in their oats ana spfihS
wheat. They are about ready 10 start
sowing barley.
The freezing and thawing Whealhcr
of the last ten days ihas been detrt'
mental to the winter wheat crop. says
one agricultuiigt. who estimates that
from l. TO 90 per cent Of the wheat
has been killed as the result
Because of the prospects FOR hlgl
wheat prices this year la Sale count
farmers put in large acreagcS OF the
grain last fall. about normal crol
for the county. but IT IS evident now
that the production will not be up to
normal.
To Sow in Spring Wheat.
It Is not believed, however. that
much of the winter wheat acreage viii
have to 10 ploWsd up, but instead
spring wheat 'sowh in the spots whcr'
the winter wheat is killed out.
11ere is not n large acreage Of rye
in the county. but what there is aD
pears to be doing nicely The bat
spring weather apparently has done
little damage to the rye,
Weather this spring has not beel
good for the hay crop, especially the
new seeding, but With ScaSOnab''
weather from now on the hay Crol
should not be much below normal. II
fact, the production of all grains anC
nay depends much upon the kind o
weather from now on. The danger t'
the spring wheat due to the latcncS,
OF getting it in, is that the no
weather may catch it at the cliticA
season
Help Scarce.
Fright now there is greater short
age of labor on Illinois farms thal
ever before. even during war time.
says d. O. Thompson. secretary OF lh'
Illinois Agricultural association Let
terS from a number of the count.
farm bureaus indicate that from
dozen TO a hundred men could be usc'
in every county. Farmers are payin
$40 to $50 month with board an'
room furnished. In spite of the fac
that farmers are paying more thar
ever before. they cannot compete witt
the prices paid by industries.
Mr.. Thompson says there is no Dc
nying the shortage, and apparently IL
tie can be- done TO overcome it, tn
effect this shortage will have is Wha
we are all Interested in, city folks Il
well as farmers. The one and Onl
thing that can prevent shortage o
production greater than We hay
known before is a big crop yea
Many quarter section farms will b
manned by the owner or one man tht
year and there is no hope for that T.
do the right kind OF job OF tarminS
Letters from all our farm bureau
predict shortage Of production. On
letter indicated that some farm
would stand idle this year Nor
grass seed is being sown than in man
years, so that the farm can be PIT
down to grass.
Wage Competition.
IT farmers could afford wages I
compete with industries there Nigh
be some relief, but the farmer has "a
solutely no assurance that he will &c
prices for his products that will pa
Tor that slahar ,,There isn't the pi
triOtics appeal there Was during ID
war II seems that the public wi
have to be shown in Sill higher price
or possibly famine, before the cond
ion is realized.
"WCrk on the farm is real wOri
1t comes nearer being eight hours /
the morning and eight in the attcI
noon than an eight hour day. That
the way our farmers have been NorE
ing. They are getting tired Of seoin
all other labor put in six or eigh
hours a day, half as efficient as a fc'
years ago They will not pay hig
wages for hat kind Of labor and tax