The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-04-02

Boston, April ? = Immediate ac- tion by New England farmers in listing their farm labor needs and the early registration of all poten- tial farm workers, including stu- dents and women, was urged here today by John E. Rice, chairman of the New England Councils Com mittee on Agriculture and Forestry.
 we cannot meet the quota of farm production demanded of New England by the national victory program if our farmers are handi- capped by a lack of man power" Mir. Rice said.
 "A comprehensive, regional pro. gram for providing New England farms with skilled and unskilled workers has been devised through the cooperative efforts of the U. s. Department of Agriculture, the U. s. Employment Service, and state and local farm organizations" Mir. Rice continued. If action is begun now, the Committed feels that a sufficient number of workers will become available to help greatly in easing the situation"
 The program for off-setting the impending labor shortages, as des- cribed by MT Rice, calls for the fol- lowing procedures; Registration of farmers labor requirements with local U. s. Employment Service offices; use of all qualified persons employed by the WPA or the IVA in appropriate farm work; registra- tion of school youth available for farm work; use during peak sea- sonal operations of town dwellers regularly employed in other occupa- tions; cooperative labor exchanges between farmers; development of training necessary to make effective use of farm labor; provision of transportation of workers to and from farms, and provision of local centralized living facilities for migratory labor from which they may be sent to particular jobs.
 Focal agency in the New England program is the U. s. Employment Service, with its six state and 93 local offices. Farm labor coordina. tors appointed by rural War Action Committees, now making surveys of local farm labor needs, will work through nearby U. s. Employment Service offices when local labor re- sources are exhausted. These of- fees in turn will make available names of persons offering their ser- vices for farm work. A regional farm placement representative for New England has been appointed to coordinate the farm labor activities of the U. s. Employment Service in each of the six states, to ensure maximum efficiency in farm labor supply.
 Through the land grant colleges and their agencies, the U. s. Em- ployment Service also proposes to set up training programs to instruct youth in the fundamental tech- nique of dairy work. The state rep resentatives of the United States Bureau of Agricultural Economies are acting in an advisory capacity in developing these programs.
 Tie report pointed out that se- ISCIlVc SeTVlCc OOdTuS WILL BIdAlC OC" cupational deferments to all farm workers producing goods essential to the war effort, provided that thH work requires skill and experience and that replacement is not cer- tain. Farm operators were urged, in filling out draft questionnaires, to indicate clearly their belief that they should be deferred. In the case of employees whose employment is essential to the operation of the farm, employers should submit a request for occupational deferment along with the registrant's ques- tionnaire, without waiting until the employe has been classified by the local board. The New England Com n1issioners of Agriculture have al-