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Show I Over 25,000 Boys Between Be-tween Ages of 16 and 21 Have Labored In the Fields In Response To the Nation's Call This Paft Summer- Plans for I Next Year. I Copyright, 1917, by The International Syndicate yyHlTH tho opening of tho clt' m mm n'?n schools this fall there LmJJ enter thousands of youths 'jjr sun-browned and muscular as never before, with keener, clearer eyes, more stalwart bearing and an altogether alto-gether healthier, happier, more purposeful pur-poseful lot of boys than when they loft their desks thrco months before. Boy Power Of Nation For Farm Work. What Is tho reason for this change of mien In tho occupants of tho city class rooms? It Is not far to seek. Look closely at them. Note tho handsome hand-some bronze badge which hundreds of them ore wearing. It reads "Boys' Working Reserve, U. S. A.," and It bears tho stamp of the United States. The boys who havo come back to their books swarthy, muscular, upstanding, up-standing, offered their services last June to the organization of the above name, giving their pledge that thoy would servo In tho agricultural fields during tho summer as a patriotic duty to their country. That healthy glow on chcok and clear light In cyo is not alone tho tangible tang-ible ovldenco of closo and wholesome contact with irothcr Earth, but tho consciousness that they belong to that gallant band of over twenty-five thousand thou-sand boys between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one who havo given tho strength of their vigorous young bodies this summer paBt to the causo of tho nation In her hour of need. Tho Boys' Working Reserve was organized or-ganized at c meeting hold In Washington Wash-ington last spring. Its object was tho organization of tho boy-power of tho nation for work on tho farms during tho school vacation months. Tho result re-sult so far has proven tho effort worthy, wor-thy, and tho city boys are returning to their homos and school rooms leaving leav-ing behind them well-tilled Holds and well-garnered harvests as the results of their labors, and bringing with them bodies and souls purified, strengthened and dovoloped by their months of wholcsomo labor for a noble purposo. Operates Under Government Control. "It was becauso of the tremendous man-power that could bo organized, and utilized In tho form of boys from sixteen years and upward that we undertook the organization of the Boys' Working Reserve," said William B. Wilson, United States Secretary of Labor, who mado the opening address a, a meeting of tho directors of tho organization in Washington last June. "In taking the boys of tho country and utilizing tholr services wo havo to take Into consideration that thoy aro In the formative period and that their future is dopondent upon tholr having tho proper caro during the wholo period that their wholo character char-acter Is being formed. "If thoy can be taken from school and placed under the proper supervision super-vision .hero tholr energies may bo directed, where men can tako caro of tholr moral welfare, where their sanitary sani-tary welfaro and physical devolopment may bo seen to, and where thero can bo instilled Into tholr minds tho value of persistence such lessons as they rlll learn will ba valuablo In everything every-thing thoy undertake hereafter." Tho National Director of the Boys' Working Reservo Is Mr. William Ed ward Hall, formerly president of tho Boys' Club Federation and moro recently re-cently engaged In Belgian rollof work. Coordination Of Labor Is Essential. In outlining the work of tho organization or-ganization under his direction, 'Mr. Hall said: ' "In tho first placo tho Fedoral Government Gov-ernment has established the Boys' Working Reservo so that thero may bo a unification of all efforts in order that the objoct to bo achieved may bo looked at from tho national standpoint, stand-point, Becauso all of tho United States Is at war as a nation. It Is imperative that any mobilization of labor to jnect tho war emergency shall bo a coordinate coordi-nate offort so that tho labor may bo used at tho point whero it Is most vitally vit-ally needed, "This war may lart through this yoar, or It may go on for a number of years, and In building wo must build not only for tho present but Ukowlso for next year and tho year following. Thero Is a labor shortago with us now, and this shortage will becomo more and moro acuto as tlmo goes on. Tho United States is manufacturing more than It ever ha3 in hlsto'-y; It has gone Into fields heretofore untouched, as evldonod hv our enormous InTnpo I In exports. Tho natural growth of tho nood of men was ordinarily mot by Immigration. For almost three years practically no workers havo como from foreign lands to meet even tho natural growth. Fields Arc Drained Or Labor. "Our growth has been not normal but abnormal," said Director Hall. "A-reccnt "A-reccnt census taken In Now York Stato shows that there aro more than 16,000 fewer farm hands, moro than 40,000 less farmers' daughtors, and. moro than 40,000 loss farmers' sons on tho farms In that Stato than thero wero at this tlmo last year. "Tho factories havo steadily drained tho fields of labor until thero must bo somo -organized offort taken to satisfy sat-isfy tho deficit thus created. Since Industry can supply no considerable number of workers, It Is absolutely imperative that tho United States draw from somo sourco ordinarily not available avail-able to meet tho vital need In food production. "Tho most obvious supply of workers work-ers ordinarily not avallablo aro tho boys botwecn tho ages of sixteen and twonty-ono. Thero aro between flvo and six million of theso boys in the United States-, and It has been stated on authority that at least two million boys aro either idle or chango tholr occupation during tho summer months. It Is with these wo have to do. The results of tho wor:. of tho Boys' Working Reservo aro already very gratifying from every standpoint; and Mr. Henry W. Selnhart of tho organization, or-ganization, had a few Interesting fnrus 1 ' togivo tho lntervlowor. "Tho results of this season's efforts Tiavo been highly encouraging," ho said. "But what has been dono Is only tho beginning. Next yoar tho shortage will bo much groator than U Is now. Tho draft will tako more men and tho munition plants and other oth-er industries will still furthor doploto tho nation's supply of young mon. Against tho groator shortago of next year wo aro preparing and aro now gottlng school superintendents and principals in lino to present tho case to their pupils In tho light of its being a patriotic offort which they owe to their country. American Boy Vs. German Boy. "Hero, for instance is something to sot them thinking: In Germany evory boy over fifteen Is drafted Into somo form of active productive cervlco today. to-day. Evory boy. wo can got to produce In this country will bo working agalrist a similar boy In Germany, and If wo can get this Idea Into tho mind of evory boy hore It will do much for his Imagination and bo a stimulation to him. "In connection with this wholo mat-tor mat-tor thoro is no effort to bo mado to keep tho boy from school. From tho oxporionco of England It has been found a mistake to keep tho children from school for work, and tho President Presi-dent of tho United States Is trying to Impress upon pupils and parents tho nccosslty of training and education for tho school boy of today. "In some places arrangements aro bolng mado to permit tho boys of tho Reservo to remain out of school until tho crops aro harvested, so that the b-neflt of their help .may not bo cut off at a critical tlmo. and In .somo States tholr work In this direction Is to servo as school credit. Tho boards of education In New York have already al-ready passed a law permitting boys who arc usefully employed to stay out of school until November first." In reply to a question, Mr. Swoln-hart Swoln-hart replied: "The keenest domand for tho services of the boys has been in the East and Middle Atlantic States. Throughout Now England, except ex-cept In "ermont and Now Hampshire, thoy have been largely employed. Maine has boon a banner State tn respect re-spect to lt? use rf tho Rovi' Worklnr Rosorvo. Now York has callod largo- 'K ly upon hor "Farm Cadets" to mako ' up hor labor shortago in agriculture . Hf and Pennsylvania and Now Jersey aro : mr both employing thousands of boy In- borers on tholr farms. ;. 0i "Soveral of tho Central Wcstorn ' f j States havo applied for boy labor, not- , ably Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, i-it" Illinois, Arizona, Utah and California, Jrv Wo aro proud of tho fact that such Mptbe has been tho success of the work that fedrar thero havo boon no returned badges. "")ack: Tho boys havo dono admirably as a wholo." Boys In Tho Camps. :. Jjjj. in reply to another question Mr. 'Hfint Swclnhart said: vHfl "Wo aro strongly in favor of tho ' Hfe Boys' Working Reservo camps as prof- orablc In this form of labor to tho " Individual working units. Tho boys . aro thus undor constant supervision BH as to physical, moral and social wel- ' mWm fare, as aro their conditions of om- ploymont, and tho program of work, ' ifl drill and amusement outlined for them at tho camps makes them somowhat 'J) military in organization. rpj 2 "This establishes a fino spirit and f: . tho boys llko tho camp. life. It is dls- a,: tinctly tho bcSt way of handling tho J;5 of situation, but It can only operate In Jjctfers. well populatod agricultural districts. i iero In tho nature of things, tho work must ! : Sgcs. bo conducted in a variety of ways and '.' Gjs j In accordanco with individual condl- f:if'mnL- tions. rnaK "Tho ideal camp has from twenty- f $ J?01 flvo to thirty boys under a solected Jl$f. supervisor. Theso mon aro trained fcHpiccc workers In boys' organizations. Some- iSsdistr times they aro high school or agrl- ' nthout 1 cultural teachers who havo volun- Srtfld tl tecrcd their services for the summor. ! ic Thoy sec- that tho boys aro kept fit J n?l ) physically and morally and that they - Wh 'n have a square deal on pay. The boys J pay fully or partly for the upkeep of ad-t their camps. What is lacking in that respect has been made up so far by i; jSS various Stato and local organizations. . IHB "By next summer we expect to havo thousands of camps In operation throughout the country, with standard ' regulations governing their conduct . I and the boys will probably be wearing ' I a uniform. Thelrr Is a work of pa- j trlotlsm and It is worthy tho dignity " , of a distinguishing dress" |