Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-11
HARVESTING THE WHEAT
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

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Aided and directed so far as pos
sible by the free service OF the United
States Department OF Labor. the an.
nual invasion OF the wheat. growing
West by 100000 temporary harvest
hands IL under full swing. These
men, with the farmers and the more
permanent help, are laying low the
waving fields which raise the bread
crop OF the Nation. Starting in
Texas In June, the harvesting army
has moved northward into Oklahoma
and Kansas, is sending its advance
guard into Nebraska and has new
| fields to conquer when these have
been won by the reaper and the
binder.
Tempted by the lure Of the out
doors and the three and four dollar
q day wages, all sorts and conditions
or men make up the harvesting
army. Some are regulars who have
seen these lands before and viii see
them again, Summer after Summer.
Others are college men on vacation.
or city men SELLING a chance to travel
and see the West. Others are work
ers of the railroad and highway con.
I,struction camps and laborers in other
lines, who, seek more permanent Jobs
in the Winter, but hit the open trails
4 "
ing under the open sky Is joy and
not q trouble.
Better Conditions for Workers.
Government and State supervision
and assistance In finding jobs for
men and men for Jobs have improved
the circumstances of the temporary
harvest hand n good deal I'm recent
years. He does not sleep in the open
Nrv.Hn - - 4 L -
tents are supplied. He travels by
railroad in coach, unless he owns
q fiivver or prefers the chances Of
free riders on freight trains, or a
lift along the highway by tourists.
He gets more money and takes fewer
chances than Of old. but he IL still
essentially an adventurer, and he
follows the crops northward and
westward and gets over about as
much territory az suits his fancy.
The long hours and hard work OF the
harvest fields have not changed
much. There are no easy jobs. II
is mans work, and it hardens the
muscles and calluses the hands and
browns the skin and produces an ap-
petite the like of which il not found
outside of q fighting army.
Supplying this army OF labor to the
wheat fields when It is needed and
under fair conditions to the workers
II no simple task. 1t Is task that
| must he done promptly, for wheat
must be cut when 1t is ready, and the
men mus move to the place where the
job ID waiting, State employment Of
fees and public offices of cities long
since began to supplement and often
displace the old private employment
Office which sold jobs at 81 each to
itinerant workers. Then the Federal
Government came to realize that the
wheat harvest is essentially an inter.
state proposition. and the Department
of Labor established it's nationwide
system Of Offices to gather and dis,
tribute timely and accurate informa.
tion to harvest workers.
Central Once Maintained.
From its central Office at 202s Main
street, Kansas City. Mo-, the Farm
Labor Division OF the United States
Employment Service now directs seven
permanent branch offices and several
scores of temporary branches. which
are opened up at seasonal times in IA
States. and closed when the crop In
Kansas City ONCE go out timely bull
letins setting forth wheat-cutting dates
| in various sections, wages paid In
each section and the estimated mum.
her OF men that will be needed from
outside, together with the address OF
the nearest temporary once. where
free directions to the job will be avail.
able, with minimum Of travel and
lost time The harvest worker pays
chance, but the Government does
everything 1t can to tell him when
ana where he has the best chance Of
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