Evening star., 1924-06-27
THOUSANDS RUSH
TO WHEAT FIELDS
laborers' Total Wages of
100000 Per Day Soon to
Be Felt in Retail Trade.
BY j. e. ROYLE.
Special Dispa tch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, June 27.-A swarm
OF workers is surging into Kansas
today. They had been held back like
runners on their marks until the
wheat harvest there actually began.
Harvest is in full swing in Harper
County, Kan, while Sedgwick has
started binders. as have Pratt, Staf-
ford, Reno, Rice, Barton. Pawnee and
Edwards Counties. The movement in
those localities should be in full
swing by June %.
What this means may be better
unNerstood from the fact that the ad-
visory board OF the American Rail-
way Association estimates that the
tranSmissouri wheat crop is 25 per
cent greater than last year. Thirty
three thousand grain cars have been
assembled in that territory to carry
this crop to market.
Men Earn 100000 Per Day.
1t also means millions in wages.
The federal employment service has
been holding in the cities those men
congestion in the fields before har-
vest actually started. Now the ban
is removed Gnd the men who have
been held idle in cities, spending
theif savings, are starting to earn 81
day and board and starting to spend
it also. This will amount to almost
100000 day in Kansas
The harvest also is in full swing
in Oklahoma. but some men are
trickling into Kansas from that state.
be able to supply the thousands OF
men needed, but the recent hot
weather matured wheat unexpected
~. George f. Tucker, field director
OF the central employment office, at
Kansas City, has sent out the follow
ing message in this connections
Retail Trade Boom Seen.
Let none of US get panicky. We
cannot control the weather, but we
can work together to supply ali sec
tions where men are required, and we
believe II can be done" These facts
are OF fully as much Importance to
the merchants and manufacturers as
prices are fairly strong at this time
and the $4,000 cars stationed in the
wheat districts will carry a flood of
ready cash, which will hardly hesi-
tate before it begins to flow over
the counters of the merchants Those
merchants have their shelves lightly
stocked. sudden demand is all
that is needed to bring a deluge of
orders orders, dtnr5ot to Jobbers; wholesalers and
have held down production in many
lines and some Improvement in EN-.
ployment in the factory centers Is
to be expected.
German Orders Stop,
As to foreign sales of American
asrlcultural products, the wheat
movement has shown recent improve
ment, but prune and apricot growers
or California are complaining bitterly
at the cessation of German orders for
| dried and canned fruits The reason
american representatives in Berlin
| say, is because German BUYERS now
are paying to per cent a month
on short time loans to carry on busi-
ness.
The raisin growers, however. are
| not greatly worried and are piyins Q
cheers over the success of grower
control. The secret of success OF
such organizations lies in accmrata
knowledge of market conditions
says Ralph p. Merritt, president OF
| the Sun Maid Raisin Growers Asso-
citation, and a willingness to take
the bitter with the sweet. The faI.
lacy OF holding for price in the face
OF such conditions is written large
IN disasters to organizations which
| have attempted to demand price In
excess OF what business would jus.
tify"
One line of manufacture which will
| indirectly, by the harvest activity is
steel. Finished steel prices have
slipped in the last three weeks hu,
| the movement has been small. Wire
| prices are showing resistance to de.
clines. and this perhaps is due to i'm
provement in the condition of the
agricultural sections