The New York herald., 1921-06-26
FARMERS NOW HAVE
ALL HELP They NEED
Paying $3 Compared With So
and $40 Last Year for
Harvesters.
NEW ENGLAND FILLING UP
Of 1000 Abandoned Places
Last September Less Than
800 Remain.
NEW ENGLAND FILLING UP

1t is not the size and lush of the re-
Gently garnered crops in Texas, Okla
bona and Kansas that send observers
back East. saying that it looks like
the good old days out that way. And
it isn't the gloating of the farmers in
the Dakotas, Montana, Wisconsin and
Colorado over the brightest outlook
since 1915, not to speak Of huge yield
on the verge of harvesting with much
more to come.
1t is the human phase Of the situa-
ton that these observers, reporting to
the Eastern farm agencies, enthuse
about. They say that nothing like It
has been seen and, inasmuch as there
has never been a situation just like
this one, it is conceivable that they
tell the truth. Briefly it's this:
Last year the farmers of the West.
the Southwest and the Northwest
were going about beseeching employ
ment agencies to send them harvest
hands. They pleaded in desperation
They were willing to pay ss. $40. s12
a day and feed and house the workers
besides. They were willing to pay any
thing and stand for anything that they
might get their expensive crops off
the fields and upon the market before
the impending deiation hattened them.
Last yenr and This Contrasted.
The vast majority OF the farmers
failed to get adequate help. They saw
their costly produce flop over on the
ground and lie there to rot They
couldn't get labor they couldn't get
their own prices for that which they did
rescue they couldn't get credit.
To-day these same farmers are hold
ing forth about the return of the era
when there was plenty OF work for every
man who wanted TO work and that the
only way to avoid work was to hide.
To-day these farmers are getting all the
harvesters they need at SO day plus
good food and lodging. The first Of the
years crops in Texas. Oklahoma and
Kansas were gathered in last month.
While the land yielded 10, 20 and even
80 per cent. more this year than 1t did
twelve months back, the yield was
whisEed into storage in record time.
without regard to the eight hour day or
stipulated overtime rates OF pay.
And that fetches us up to the phase
Of the situation that features the re-
ports of the observers.
The Texas. Oklahoma and Kansas
crops being reaped. the harvesters pre-
pared to go north-follow the crops.
From the States to the north came word
that the June and July yields were to be
tremendous. The railroads. pleading
poverty, told the harvest hands that the
old fashioned cut rate ticket for that
sort of labor was no more. They'd have
to travel on straight tickets, and the cost
of railroad travel was never so great.
Did that discourage the three dollar a
day farm hands? Not at all.
They got together in communities, and.
through committees, negotiated with
farmers, contractors and plain titney
magnates to carry them by motor truck
and horse team to Iowa, the Dakotaa,
Minnesota and wherever the crop beck
oned. Such was the rush from crop TO
crop that there were not motor trucks
and buses enough. So even the old
prairie schooner was drafted into service.
And In these conveyances the harvesters
are travelling up the country and lik-
ing IL.
Down East Farms Taken Up.
Scattered through New England as
late as September |. 1920. there were
at least 1000 abandoned or merely va
cant or unoccupied farms. They we're
and are perfectly good farms. but nos
so large nor so fertile (being much older
in service) as the vast tracts of the
and Northwest. Each held forth
a bundant opportunity for the acquisi-
tion OF those rudimentary creature COM
forts all strive for--food, clothing, shell
ter and sufficient, margin of dollars
beyond to cover growth and reasonable
recreation.
or those 1900 New England farms
fewer than 800 are vacant to-day. And
there Is reason to suspect that there
will not be 200 of them by September
Briefly, within one year g. 800 Down East
farms will have been taken over by
somebody and are being titled for all
they're worth!
What is the reason? Where do they
come from? What is the answer? It's
all simple enough. The invariabe sys-
tenn of checks and balances that is sup
posed to be the cornerstone of our own
Government and assuredly Is the entire
fabric of human nature is responsible.
Tho lad who deserted the rural districts
for the silk shirt. suede top shoes, pinch
back coat and trick hat OF the fools
paradise Industrial centres during the
war is hiking back TO the farm. There
Continued on Sirfh Page