Evening star., 1943-04-15
.(Fourth of a series on the tarm
problem.)

pr0blen1.
BY the Associated Press. $500:
KANSAS CITY. April l5.-The
farmers OF the Central Midwest
/ figure that they and their fellow
Americans on farms in other areas
will come through with the Ma
tion's needed food supply.
Sure, they're having troubles and
probably will have more-help
shortages, machinery breakdowns,
priorities, rationing and the wealth
er.
Give them little announcement,
a little help, little new machinery,
lots OF repair parts and, Of course,
a break on the weather, and they
say they'll do their part and more.
When experts sit around scanning
reports, the situation may look
bleak so many in war jobs, no farm
help, very little machinery.
Well, they say in these parts,
those cold. hard survey reports
overlook one thing-the farmer.
Farmers out here in the Midwest
are a to.gh, tenacious breed, ac-
customed to solving their own prob
lens, while Congress worries about
them.
Reject Labor Suggestions.
They figure they'll work a lot
harder, help one another a little
more. trade machinery around, fix
up broken implements
Next fall out the other end will
come the steaks and the chops and
the potatoes and the wheat and the
corn and the butter and all the
other items which 60 to fill that
collective belly on which the mill
tary and civilian army must travel.
Take the help problem-and there
is farm help shortage. The ex-
perts have propounded several So
lutions-high school boys, women
and children, assign the soldiers.
Farmers say that no one of those
suggestions holds the answer. Talk
to them and you will learn they
aren't very strong for the idea of
having green hands help out, or
OF herding city boys around showing
them what to do, or of relying on
women. In busy times farmer
wants experienced help-he can't
take the time to show someone else
what to do and how to do it.
Most of them plan to help one
another trade their sons around
and, of course. utilize what other
help comes their way. They prefer
men and boys with a farm back
ground.
They expect to solve the problem,
for instance. like Joe Walton, Belle
Plaine, Kans., farmer:
Joe. who operates a couple of
quarter sections devoted principally
to wheat, needed a combine man
and couple OF truck drivers last
summer. About all he could get was
young chap to drive a truck. So
Joe rugged up some ropes from his
big tractor to his combine, operated
both those big machines himself and
set the lad to hauling wheat. He'll
probably do this again this year.
Problem Can Be Solved. >.
Then there are Mr.. and Mrs
Leonard Mead. of Paola, Kans.
-Four years ago Mr.. Mead quit his
job as a barber to run dairy farm
Today he has herd of % milk
cows, but he and his wife manage
to do all the work themselves with
no outside help They budget their
time to the minute They get up at
$50 am, milk all the cows-Mrs
Mead milks at least half-bottle the
milk and deliver. it, to Paola, 200
quarts every day. They have two
children who help with the chores,
but are using no outside help.
Farm machinery is a problem but
it isn't insurmountable, farmers
around here say. New machinery
is short. The War Production Board
cut down on materials allotted to
such manufacture, later ordered an
increase in materials-but not in
time to help now.
But Frank Sphinx of Kansas City.
secretary of the Western Retail
Hardware Mems Association, said
some one in WPB had the foresight
to insist on ample materials for
repair parts. and implement men