The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-06-14
CALLING FOR HELP
Kansas Farmers Raise Old
Time Harvest Cry.
Not Enough Men to Handle the
1921 Crop.
$4,000 HANDS ARE NEEDED
Many Farmers. Are Raising
Scale to Get Men.
Are 1000 More Needed in
Hutchinson Territory.
$4,000 HANDS ARE NEEDED

Kansas needs 80, 900 additional men
for the wheat harvest, according to es-
Inmates today by the labor division Of
the industrial court. The harvest is
under way fully a week ahead of time
forecast by crop observers and the
demand for labor is heavy in coun-
ties where the wheat is ready to har-
vest.
Southwestern and south central
counties today sent urgent appeals for
help. Hutchinson and towns in the
Hutchinson labor district are in need
of additional workers. At least 100
men could have been placed Monday,
according to a report today from
Hutchinson.
more acute next week when the har-
vest will be under way in practically
every county south of the central line
of the state.
Place 100 q Day.
Reports from Hutchinson were to
the effect that the agency in that town
could place 100 men a day for the re-
mainder of the week. These men can
be located, it is asserted. at wages
farmers are, paying 81 day. the re-
port stated. Stafford has asked for
thirty men for Wednesday at $4.10 for
common labor and Sc day for stack
erS.
The location of harvest hands is
made largely thru offices in Hutchin-
son, Wichita, Salina and Kansas City.
Mo. Other offices are in Topeka.
Kansas City, Kan, and Parsons.
Usual Harvest Cry.
Manhattan, Kan, June 14.-The
Kansas wheat belt is sending out its
usual harvest cry. 1t wants more men
to handle the crop. From Pratt, King
man, Reno, Stafford and other coun-
ties in that section comes the news
that harvest is ready to start and
there is not an extra hand.
The wheat farmers had figured that
help would be plentiful this year The
daily press has been carrying stories.
saying that four million men were out
of work in the United States Kansas
figured that these men would come to
the harvest. Now the harvest is ready
to start and the men have not showed
up.
Many Calls For Help.
Early Monday morning calls for
harvesters began to pour into the Of
fIces of the Kansas State Farm Bureau
which helped in distributing harvest
labor last year. Most of the calls said
that harvest was ready to start and
that there were no extra hands. Chas.
R. Weeks, secretary. Immediately sent
out calls to chambers of commerce
and labor offices in eastern Kansas
and Missouri in an effort to get
enough men to supply the demands.
Warm sunny weather in the wheat
counties has ripened the wheat rapidly
during the last few days, with the re-
suit that harvest is going to be ready
full two weeks earlier than last year.
Farmers have Figured that there was
n fn crof ho
they have sent out no calls for extra
help until Monday morning, when
many of them in that section found
that their grain was ready to cut
Hike Price of Labor.
Reports have come in that already
the shortage of hands is causing the
farmers to break over the wage set al
these conferences. However. it is be-
lieVed that very few farmers will pay
more than the price of three bushels
of wheat Last year the harvest wage
was 81. which was approximately the
same as could be obtained for three
bushels of wheat on the. market.
According to V. S. Crippen, county
agent in Pratt county, harvest has al
ready started and there are no extra
hands. Two hundred a day can bt
used at Pratt alone, he said. H. L
Hildwein, Kingman county agent, re.
/ ports that harvest started Monday
with not an extra hand in any of the
towns of the county.
Short Wages, Labor Short.
Kansas City, Mo-, June 14.-Witt
wages of SO and 81 day being of.
fered, a shortage of 1000 harves
| hands exists in Kansas, according to {
| telegram received by Henry c. Allen
chief of the agricultural department
! of the federal employment office here
Wheat Cutting at Pratt.
Pratt, Kan, June 14.-Harvest o
] wheat, getting under way here today
will be general over the county by the
i end of this week.
| Reports that harvest hands are re
| fusing to accept prevailing wages, ar,
denied by County Agent Crippen, WHIT
| declared this condition does not exis
in Pratt county.