BUSINESS MEN,
SCHOOL BOYS AS
FARM WORKERS
APPEAL BY FEDERAL EMPLOY-
MENT OFFICIAL
MEETING AT STOCKTON
PLANS MADE TO GET OUT ALL
AVAILABLE MEN
Action To Get Business Men And
Students Into Fields "Only
Way" Can Save Bumper
Kansas Fall Crops, Har-
old Lewis Says
TOPEKA, Sept. 14. (AP)–The U.S. Employment Service appealed to business men and school boys to help with the feed-grain harvest in Kansas areas where critical shortages of farm labor exist. Harold Lewis, farm placement supervisor, asserted "the only way we can save these crops is for men to leave their shops and filling stations and for boys to leave classrooms until the harvest is completed."
Bumper crops coupled with a gradually declining farm labor supply cause the critical outlook, Lewis said. School boys in Doniphan county already have suspended book work to help with the apple harvest.
Plans Made At Stockton
At a meeting a Stockton Friday, farm and labor leaders from 12 northwestern counties planned a campaign for getting out all available male help to harvest row crops. A war project at Hays is beginning to hire construction workers and is expected to drain all surplus manpower in that area, Lewis explained. Other defense areas are making similar drains.
Lewis said State Superintendent George McClenny had sent notices to all county school superintendents asking that boys who will work in the fields be temporarily released from school duties. Local civic groups have been asked to join in the ampaign.
"The farm labor shortage is a problem for each county. There are no extra workers elsewhere available for transfer," the employment supervisor warned.
Drop in farm placements was the principal cause of the decrease in total jobs filled by the employment service in August Placements totaled 13,688, compared with 16,[unclear] in July. Average last year was only 7,252 monthly. Less unemployment in the state was further reflected in the sharp drop in jobless compensation paid in August. The $72,985 was 22.6 percent under July payments. Average check increased to $10.28, compared with $10.24 paid in July and $9.62 paid in August last year.
