TCT * ''**."., -', * - - 



Agricultural and industrial 

 Progress in Canada 



.A monthly review of Agricultural and Industrial progress in Canada, 

 published by the Department of Colonization and Development of the 

 Canadian Pacific Railway at Montreal, Canada. 



VOL. 3 No. 6 



MONTREAL 



June, 1921 



The Problem of Farm Help 



THE problem of farm help, which year 

 after year in connection with the cultiva- 

 tion and harvesting of Western Canada's 

 increasing crops is a matter of such vital import- 

 ance to the farmers, formed the basis of an 

 interesting discussion at the Second Annual 

 Conference of Western representatives of the 

 Employment Service of Canada, recently held 

 at Regina, Saskatchewan. It was attended by 

 representatives of the four western provinces, 

 Director Bryce Stewart, Ottawa, and delegates 

 from the United Farmers of Alberta, Saskatche- 

 wan and Manitoba. 



Agriculture is a highly seasonal industry 

 divided into two work periods of April and May, 

 and the second period August, September and 

 part 'of October. These two seasons are by no 

 means well divided and the dates of commencing 

 or closing of each season vary considerably. 



The demand for men in either season, and 

 especially in the harvest season, fluctuates 

 widely, giving to the harvest labor operations 

 a distinctly spotted character. 



Weather conditions are probably the greatest 

 factor in causing fluctuations in the demand for 

 men. Hot, dry weather, causing grain to ripen 

 quickly, will create a frantic demand for a 

 large number of men, whereas a spell of cool, 

 wet weather will result in hundreds of farmers 

 refusing to accept men directed to their farms. 



Varying degrees of weather over compara- 

 tively small areas will cause harvest in the 

 various areas which should be done in succession, 

 being all done at the same time. Harvest opera- 

 tions under even normal conditions never com- 

 mence on the same date two years in succession. 

 All fields, even in the same area, are not sown on 

 the same date in the spring, thereby causing a 

 difference in the date of ripening. 



Rust, grasshoppers, hail, drouth and rain are 

 ever-present causes of fluctuations in the demand 

 for harvest help, and many transient harvest 



laborers secure a surprisingly 

 jobs during the short seasons. 



large number of 



Added to the above uncontrollable causes of 

 fluctuation must be considered the desire of 

 farmers to complete harvest operations as early 

 as possible. The fact that practically all the 

 farmer's earnings are standing in his fields, the 

 desire to complete the summer work as early as 

 possible, and the fear of unfavorable fall weather, 

 all tend to create a big demand for a few weeks, 

 which demand then tapers off. Harvest laborers 

 too frequently wait in the cities for the larger 

 wages paid during the peak load and then rush 

 back east for inside jobs before the coming 

 winter. 



That the farmers and the unemployed both 

 appreciate and realize the co-operation of the 

 Employment Service was brought out at the 

 Convention by the farmer delegates who, to 

 further this co-operation, presented recom- 

 mendations dealing with the following points: 



The abolition of private labor bureaus; 

 standardization of wages in different provinces; 

 one standard of wages for five months com- 

 mencing April 1st, and for eight months com- 

 mencing April 1st; one standard for three months 

 commencing September 1st. 



A periodical survey to estimate labor require- 

 ments for any period; farmers' associations 

 should be used for this purpose. Labor bureaus 

 should make every effort to adjust labor supply 

 to meet the requirements of seasonal employ- 

 ment within the province, by making convenient 

 the transfer of labor from agriculture to winter 

 industries and vice-versa. 



In adopting a standard of wages, due con- 

 sideration should be given to the experience of 

 the applicant. It was suggested that $40 to $50 

 would be fair for the first five months and $50 

 to $60 for the eight months season. Rate of 

 harvesting season to be adjusted at such time. 



After discussion, it was agreed that farmers' 

 organizations urge their membership to a more 



