Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1920-05-12
Thatcher Analyses
Farm Conditions.

Dean r. w. Thatcher, Of the State
University, in his address to editors at
the editors short course recently held
at the University Farm, said that
American agriculture is facing the
most critical period in its history
He declared that by comparison with
the problem OF farm labor, the increased
prices OF farm lands, the spread of crop
pests and the depletion Of soil fertility
are wholly insignificant factors. "Con-
ferences in connection with the peace
treaty he said, ''had established the
principle OF an eight hour day for labor
as a worldwide economic factor. Pres
ent economic conditions have establish
ed wage scale Of from Is cents for
unskilled labor up to $1.25, or even
more, per hour for ordinary labor in
the various trades. These are the labor
wages and hours with which the farm
er must compete for his labor supply
this year Even if change in eco
nomic conditions should arise which
would decrease the rate of pay per
hour, the eight-hour day will be UNI
doubtedly remain the standard, and the
employer of farm labor will have this
higher wages, for farm labor both mean
increased cost for labor in the produce
ton of farm products Y ~ s...
Labor Must be Efficient, + u,
The Obvious conclusion is that the
most important factor in farm manage
ment now is efficient use Of labor:
Labor saving devices of every kind are
Of paramount Importance Machinery
which will permit man to control
more horsepower for traction purposes
or will provide any substitution of ma
chine power for hand labor is more
vitality important now than ever before
'1n former days of Unemployment. or
abundance of labor, it was economical
ly wise to urge intensive use Of man
| labor upon smaller acreages of land in
| order that the yield of food per acre
might be increased. But with the world
shortage Of labor, resulting from the
killing or manning of 25,00O,000 men in
the war, and accentuated by the short
ened hours of labor Of the remaining
! men, the present demands is for the
largest possible yield Of food per day of
labor. This latter has been definitely
shown to require extensive rather than
! intensive methods of farm opera ton.
Extensive methods involve the largest
possible use Of machinery and motive
power per man. Hence this is the day
in which emphasis must be placed upon
the use of machinery in every possible
way, to insure the largest possible out
| put of work per hour of man labor en-
ployed.
I, Decreased Food Likely. ....-
There can be no question that this
trend in agricultural production is like
! ~ to result in decreased yields of food
per acre Of land titled, and so to short
en- the total supply of food produced
| upon the total acreage of agricultural
land; but it will result in increased
output per unit of labor employed and
that is the result which is necessary to
meet the new conditions Of labor sup
ply and demands. =
II have to admit that I can see no
possibility Of decreased cost of produc-
| ton of food supplies in the present out
look. Unless machine labor can be
made cheaper than man labor, no re-
duction in cost of production of crops
| will come from the increased use of
! machinery on the farm. But it seems
to me that lat present, the critical pro-
blem is not that of decreasing cost of
production, but the more serious one
of securing sufficient production of
food with the limited supply of, labor
which is available under the. new eco
nOmic conditions" 2"