Evening star., 1943-07-28
Pool Of Farm
Labor Planned
By States
Conference Studies
Ways to Alleviate
Maryland Situation
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
The Governors of five States
considered today means of alle-
Waiting a Maryland farm labor sit
uation which Paul Nystrom of the
University of Maryland Extension
Division described, however, as
much better now than we ex-
pected."
Gov. O'Conor announced in An
napolis that plans for pooling the
States labor supply were submitted
to the Governors of North and South
Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia
and Maryland following meeting
here yesterday of representatives of
the five States.
At a conference in Baltimore of
members of the Farm Labor Com
mittee with agents from Hartford,
Carroll, Baltimore, Washington,
Frederick. Howard, Montgomery and
Anne Arundel Counties a shortage
of harvesters of truck crops was
indicated, Mr.. Nystrom declared.
Small Harvest Loss Seen.
He added, however, that he be-
lieved there would be little loss in
the harvesting of the tomato and
string bean crops.
Commenting on the five-State
conference here Gov. O'Conor who,
as president of the Council of State
Governments, had called the meet
ing, said it was the first of it's kind
held In furtherance of interstate
exchange of labor supply.
One of the proposals advanced,
he added, was that any recruitment
OF labor should be through estab-
hshed Government agencies which
would prevent "pirating" of workers.
practice which he said had re-
suited in the enactment of legisla-
tlon IN some OF the States against
recruiting labor there.
Gov. O'Conor explained that the
largest demand for additional farm
labor came from the Dorchester and
Caroline Counties region of the East
ern Shore. where total of 84Oo
workers would be needed during the
peak season from August l to Sep
tember IS.
Labor Camp Established.
With regard to results of the sur-
vey made Of the eight county agents
who attended the meeting in Balti-
more, Mr.. Nystrom had this to saw:
Farmers in Washington County
have banded together to meet the
tight labor situation caused by the
war plants In Hagerstown" and set
up labor camp near Smithburg
The camp will house Bahamans, va
cationists from Washington and some
migrants. he added.
In Frederick and Howard Counties
the farm agents reported no great
shortage of workers, although in
Hartford, Baltimore and Carroll
Counties harvesting of the tomato
crop will demand more workers than
are available Immediately.
Mr.. Nystrom reported the use of
prisoners in Queen Annes, St. Marys
and Washington Counties would ease
the shortage and added that the lack
of guards was the limiting factor in
the more extensive use of prison
labor
Workers in Government agencies
in Washington are being recruited
for vacation work on farms in Mary
land and Virginia, with 100 having
volunteered in the past two weeks,
Mr.. Nystrom said. The shortage has
been held to reasonable limit by
the reported return of 1,5OO war
workers to Maryland farms as we'll
as by mobilization of Eastern Shore
communities and establishment of
labor camps, he added
Mr.. Nystrom, who attended the
conference of Governors. said if the
tentative plan to pool all labor in
the four States can be carried out,
1t will be tremendously helpful"