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Show Shortage of Farm LaborCaused labor laborCaused laborY Y Caused by War Demands DemandsWages . Wages 42 Per Cent Above 1941 ; Ray Jf of JfHope ofHope Hope Seen in m to Release of Workers WorkersFrom Workersj WorkersFrom WorkersFrom j From Construction Jobs . By BAUKHAGE BAUIHAGE BAUIHAGEAce's { Ace's Aces / \ ews < w ' Analyst Analst Analjst ) and Commentator WNu WNC WNU ' ' " Service 1M3 1343 n Street N W WWa1 WSVa WWllfcincto Wa1 SVa Qiingtoa ington " D CWh11e CWhile C CWhile While Wh11e Mr McNutt s man manpowercommission po.er poer power po.ercomffilS powercommission . Is considering consldermg the draft draftof draftof draftof comffilS commission lon of a new ncw bill for mobilizing mobllizmg mobillzmg the theI theworkers theworkers theworkers I workers and the students and even eventhe eventhe eventhe the employers of at the nation the thefarmer thefarmer thefarmer farmer is scratching h b s chin and andwondermg andwondering andwondering wondermg wondering just lust v \ when ber\ ber berhe herr \ . . he will wJ11 fit Intothe intothe into I Ithe the picture Farm pictureFarm laborers of course "ill ill will "illbe willbe TO " ill illbe be registered rcglstered along with therest therest the therest rest but will that cure the farmer farmer farm farmer er s hcadaci hcadacl headac ] es " ' ' ' Today the farm labor problem IS ISfull isfull isfull full of superlatives and paradoxes paradoxesIn In the first place the unful unfulfilled lled de demand demarid demand mand marid for farm libor hbor labor reported for forJuly forJuly torJuly July was the largest in m history 58 58per 58per 58per per cent of the total demand In Inother Inother Inother other v . words ords for every 100 hands handsneeded handsneeded handsneeded needed there were only 42 available available avail available able ableThat ableTha Tha That t doesn t mean less people peoplewere peoplewere peoplewere were workmg-as workmg as working-as working working - as a matter of fac\ fac fac111 fact tackin \ , . , 111 in spite of the shortage the number numberof numberof of peopleorkmg people \ working \\orkmg orkmg on the farms has has111creasedthere hasincreasedthere hasincreased 111creased-there 111creased there increased-there increased - there were 12 009 000 as asof asof asof of July 1 This seeming seemmg paradox paradoxmerely paradoxmerely paradoxmerely merely means that more members membersof of the farmer s family are workmg working workmgmore workingmore workingmore more . women .omen omen high school boys and andgIrls andgirls andgirls gIrls and many man } ) older men who had hadrebred hadretired hadretired rebred retired Older men who did a few fewhours fewhours fewhours hours light work a day mendmg mending mendmgfences mendingfences mendingfences fences and odd jobs lobs are now work working working working ing full bmeOf timeOf time bme 01 Of course the shortage of farm la labor labor labor bor is due to the tact fact that the war warand warand warand and the , war var industries mdustrles have a1 ab- ab absorbed ab absorbed > - - sorbed 50rbed so many people And thiS thiScompetlt thiscompetit thiscompetit competlt competit on has skyrocketed 5kyrocketed farm farmwages farmwages farmwages wages They Tbey Tl , ey are the highest in 111 22ears 22years 22 22ears years > ) ears They are 42 per cent above abovethe abovethe abovethe the theages \\ages ages wages w \ ages of a year ago The aver average average average age day wage rate is the hlgbest highest hlgbestsmce highestsince highestsince smce since 1920 It is $2 2 $245 245 $ 45 and ranges rangesall rangesall rangesall all the way from $115 115 $1 1 $ 15 paid in South SouthCarolIna SouthCarolina SouthCarolina CarolIna to $4 4 $ ? $ 4 85 65 paid in m the state stateof stateof stateof of Washington Washmgton You can get some someidea someidea someidea idea . why .hy hy the farmers are figbbng fighting figbbngfor fightingfor fightingtor for parity prices v . when hen you learn learnthat learnthat learnthat that the ratio of prices received to towage towage towage wage rates is 75 ( the figure 100 100standmg 100standing 100standing standmg standing for the ratio in m the parity parityyears parityyears parityyears years 1910 to 1914) 1914 ) that ratio raho stood stoodat stoodat stoodat at 83 last year since smce when it bas has basdropped hasdropped hasdropped dropped 8 points pomts pointsI pomtsI I asked a member of the depart department department department ment of agriculture if 1f that wasn t tan tan tan an argument in m favor of the farm farmbloc farmbloc farmbloc bloc fight in m congress to keep prices pricesup pricesup pricesup up He replied rephed that he thought It Itwas itwas itwas was an argument against agamst war and andtugh andhigh andhigh tugh high prices in m generalWell generalWell general generalWell Well Well , , there tbere is the farmer s sproblem sproblem sproblem problem although he pays al almost almost almost most double what he paid In the thegood thegood thegood good old parity panty years 1910-1914 1910 1914 19101914he 19101914he 1910-1914he 1910 1914he - - he still can get only 58 per cent centof centof centof of the labor he .he be . needs needsNow needsNow needsNow Now comes the government ready readyto readyto to mobilize 60 million labor uruts umts urutsThat umtsThat unitsThat That mcludes includes men women and andyounger andyounger andyounger younger folks . with .ith ith the purpose purposeeventually purposeeventually purposeeventually eventually of having bavmg the government governmentassign governmentassign governmentassign assign each available person to tbe the tbespecial thespecial thespecial special job in the war effort for forIhlch forwhich forwhich I\hlch I hlch which \ be he is capableBut capableBut capable capableBut But the farmer has peculiar d1ffi diffl d1fficultles difflculties dimculties helpfor cultles culties He may need a lot of help for say two days puttmg putting up his hay hayI hayand hayand hayand I and then things thmgs are pretty slack un unI unW untie until I W tie the wheat comes along Ether Etherhe E ther therhe therhe he will WI11 have to provide for the 5UP sup 5UPport support support port of o1 the extra help between betweentunes betweentimes betweentimes tunes times or depend on the Oakles Oakies Oaklesthe Oakiesthe Oakicsthe the migrant ffilgrant labor . whose v.hose vhose trials and andtribulations andtribulations andtribulations tribulations we ve ye heard hE-ard hE ard - so mucb much mucbabout muchabout muchabout about An example of of " ' this came up uprecently uprecently uprecently recently when it was was"suggested wassuggested was'suggested suggested that thatMexican thatMexican thatMexican Mexican labor be brought into 1Oto this thiscountry thiscountry thiscountry country That is a problem in m the the5tate thestate thestate 5tate state department s ba h 11 vick vlck It was waspOlUted waspointed waspointed pOlUted pointed out that it would not be posE poss pos onlythe onlytbe s ble to pay the Mexicans for only tbe the workactually work actually done because as as aliens permittedto they tbey could not be permitted to enter the country if i1 theyere they \ were \\ere ere al allowed allowed allowed lowed to become public charges chargesTherefore Therefore they would probably have haveto haveto haveto to be guaranteed a weekly or even evena evena a monthly wage rateLocal rate rateLocal Local ProblemOne ProblemOne Problem ProblemOne One reason why a general mobill mobili mobillzat mobilizat mobilizat zat helpto on of labor is not of ot much help to the farmer is beca because use the farm farmlabor labor problem is largely a local localone localone localone one In normal times the farmer farmerusually farmerusually farmerusually usually knows the man be he wants and andcan andcan andcan can call h m up on the telephone telephoneand telephoneand telephoneand and be pretty s sure sure re he will come corne for forthe the forthe few days he will be needed at the atthe peak season Many of o1 these thesemen thesemen thesemen men now of o1 course are off of ! workmg working in inan workingin workmgin havebeen an armament factory or have been draftedIn draftedIn drafted draftedIn In the totalitarian totalltanan countries the theauthorit theauthorit theauthorites authorit theywant es as just take anybody they want by the scruff of o1 the neck andtend and andsend andsend wanthim .anthim wanthem send him turn oil of off ! anywhere they .ant ant want . him hem to go The United Uwted States is not yet ready readyI readyto readyto I to break up families famllies or to move movehomes movehomes movehomes homes Of course transfer of large largenumbers largenumbers largenumbers numbers of o1 people has been beenachieved beenachieved beenachieved achieved to some degree in IU tl t ! e a case caseof caseof caseof of the the'I war \'I 'I I \ ' ar industries mdustrles mdustrles'I where \'I 'I I \ ' here the federal fed federa federal era eral 1 government provided or helped helpedto to provide adequate housing housmg for new newindustnal newindustrial newindustrial industnal industrial communities communitieswinch " , -winch winch which - Inch have havesuddenly havesuddenly havesuddenly suddenly mushroomed into mto eXist eXistence existence existence existenceThere ence enceThere There Is just one ray of light lighton lighton lighton on the farm labor problem and andthat andthat andthat that is tIlS tlis tl is Although we e\.pect e.pect e .pect pect expect e.pectthat expectthat expectthat ' \ . that there thcre will be a still stili greater greaterdemand greaterdemand greaterdemand demand for farm help ne-tt ne tt ne\t t nest ' \ : - y } ) ear earIt earit earit It is possible that some of it can canbe canbe canbe be recruited ( from rom construction constructionworkers constructionworkers constructionworkers workers with ( farm arm e"qlcnence eqlcnence experience experienceIt e"qlcnenceIt " It is believed beheved that many of tbe the tbeplants theplants theplants plants and other buildings bulldmgs which whichhad whichhad whichhad had to be constructed to meet meetthe meetthe meetthe the war needs will be ( fairly alrly well wellcompleted wellcompleted wellcompleted completed by next ner-t ner t : . - 'ear ear i ) ' ear Tlls Tl TI is ismay \may may \ ' may release rclcase a number of work workers workers workers workersOf ers ersOf Of course the manpower noblh nobili noblhzatlon nobilization nobilization zatlon zation bill w will l be very ver valuable vlluable : 111 in 111one inone inone one respect It . will .111 111 enable the man manpower manpower manpower power commiss commlss oner to flip fup a card cardand cardand cardand and find out exactly what anyone anyonebo anyonewho anyonewho \\bo bo who \ can do anything anythmg C3 can cait > \ do what whatbe whathe whathe be he is domg do1Og doing now and whe e a he ISThe isThe is isThe The mere registrat reglstrat on L"t Lt ud tf " people peoplehas peoplehas peoplehas has a helpful effect . , too I know a aformer aformer aformer former farmer who is now v.orking vorking \ > workingm v.orkingin . orkmg 10 in an office He was one of the re recent recent recent cent registrants m 111 in the IS Iff to 65 groupnearer groupnearer group groupnearer -nearer nearer - nearer 65 than 18 He said to meWhen meWhen me meWhen When I filled that card out and put putdown putdown putdown down 36 years experience expenence on a farm farmI I thought to myself \ well ell . , , here bere I Iam Iam Iam am Uncle Sam knows how to locate locateme locateme locateme me and old as I am I think thmk I could couldstill couldstill couldstill still s swing . mg a pitchfork if 1f they needme needme need needA me . . . A Good WordFor Word WordFor For Mr R Riedel RiedelIn In these dayshen days \ when \\hen hen wastefulness wastefulnessin 111 in Washington is the theme of many manya a letter there is one government governmentemployee governmentemployee governmentemployee employee employeeho \ who \\ho ho \ probably has known knownpersonally knownpersonally knownpersonally personally more ' senators mhmately intimately mhmatelythan intimatelythan intimatelythan than most Washmgtomans Washingtonians and who whohasn whohasn whohasn hasn t had bad a pay ra se in m 14 yearsAnd yearsAnd years yearsAnd And according accordmg to most of my col colleagues colleagues colleagues ! leagues he has more than deserved deserveda a raise , raiseHe He is a bubbling bubblmg y } ) oung man in m rus his rusearly hisearly hisearly early thirties whose Job ] ob is press 're- 're re 4e- 4e 'relations 4elations ' 're re 'relations ' - - lations officer for the United Umted Statessenators States Statessenators Statessenators senators And his bls functions funchons are aremultlfold aremultifold aremultifold multlfold multifold He labors in the service servicenot servicenot servicenot not only of senators but also of ofnewspaper ofnewspaper , newspaper men radio reporters and andcommentators andcommentators : commentators and by no means the theleast theleast theleast least m 111 in their particularly pressmg pressing pressmgdemands pressingdemands pressingdemands demands news photographers photographersHe He is R chard Redel Redelbo R edel . , \ who \\bo bo lacks lacksone lacksone lacksone one year of being bemg in m the govermrent government govermrentserVice governmentservice governirentservice serVice a quarter of a century He Hestarted Hestarted Hestarted started as a page boy in m the senate senateat senateat senateat at the age of nine nme He has lIterally lIterallygro literallygro literallygro gro vn Y11 en with the work and the work workbas workhas workhas bas has grown with him rum When he first firstcame firstcame firstcame came to the senate he . was v.as vas too small smallto smallto smallto to reach up to the counter to sign his hisname hisname hisname name for his rus pay he had to go 111 in 111behmd inbehind inbehind behmd behind to get It it . . Today be he stands stands6 6 feet 2 inches mches And the work he hedoes hedoes hedoes does has expanded too unmeasur immeasur unmeasurably immeasurably unmeasurably ably since smce the time tune he just ran er errands errands errands rands tor for the senatorsRedel senators senatorsR Redel R edel remembers when the lob lobby lobby lobby by of the senate that hall vay Just Justoff justoff ] ustoff off the chamber through which the thesenators thesenators thesenators senators pass when they leave the thefloor thefloor thefloor floor was a teemmg teeming alleyway from fromwhich fromwhich fromwhich which nobody was excluded Any AnyVIsitor Anyvisitor Anyvisitor VIsitor any lobbyist , , had a r ght to tocorne tocome tocome corne come in m there and buttonhole a solon colon solonas colonas solonas as he emerged from the chamberBut chamberBut chamber chamberBut But in m 1919 Sen Philander C Knox Knoxearher Knoxearlier Knoxearlier earher earlier secretary of state changed changedall changedall all that No v this sacred precinct precmct is tread treadupon treadupon treadupon upon only by legit mate members membersof of the tbe press and rad o 0 And demo democratlcally democratically democratically cratlcally cratically enough where they hold holdmost holdmost holdmost most of their thel1 ' interviews mtervlews is in m the thePres thePres thePres Pres dent s room That s the tbe first firstone firstone firstone one to the right just off the lobby lobbyA A President uses th s ornate salon salonabout salonabout salonabout about once in m h s term of off oflCce olTce ce and andthen andthen andthen then wh wh"n whn wh'n " ' n he announces to a com corn commlttee cornmittee cornmittee mlttee mittee ( from rom the senate that he IS ISthrougb isthrough isthrough througb through just before his successor successortal successortal successortal tal es the oathAt oath oathAt At the doorway of the lobby Riedel Riedelstands Riedelstands Riedelstands stands with some of his colleagues colleaguesThe |
