Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 237, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 October 1918 — DEFERRED CLASS FOR FARM HELP [ARTICLE]

DEFERRED CLASS FOR FARM HELP

Monon, Oct. B.—Plans to obtain deferred classification for skilled farm laborers, so that good production may not be lessened by the operations of the conscription law in reducing f~rm labor any more than it has, were formed here today at a conference of county agricultural agents with John G. Brown, of Monon, agricultural adviser to the first district draft board of Indiana. ‘Food production is at its height now, and if the draft takes more skilled farm laborers, the essential piece of war work will be handicapped,” said one of the men at conference. Mr. Brown, who recently was named agricultural adviser by the federal government, arranged for the meeting here today to take up his work. At the request of the government, the important task of keeping sufficient help on the farms to maintain the present speed of food production was put up to the extension departments of the state agricultural colleges. In Indiana this task will fall to the extension department of Purdue university and the county agents, as the representative of the extension department in every county, will have a big part to play. Agents in a number of Indiana counties are making surveys to determine exact needs of their counties with reference to farm labor. Where there is a surplus or shortage of skilled farm help, deferred classification will be asked b/ the agricultural advisor, if the registrant himself does not ask it, and if the deferred worker is not needed ~in his home county, he will be sent elsewhere to fill a gap in the labor ranks. The agricultural adviser will investigate each case and make suitable recommendations to the district draft boards, so that skilled farm workers will be deferred the same as skilled factory workers or others needed worse at home than in the army. Today’s session was attended bv Mr. Brown, W. B. Brumfiel, federal farm help specialist for Indiana; G. W. Rosencrans,-assistant county agent leader, and agricultural agents from all counties in this draft district.