Conditions for Growing Sugar-Beets 47 



To get this result, it is necessary, or at least desirable, 

 that small houses be built near the fields. Plate V 

 shows desirable houses for this purpose. Provision for 

 suitable living conditions for those who must do hard 

 manual labor is a greater factor in getting and keeping 

 hired labor than is realized by many farmers. Many 

 suitable workers could be induced to move to the farms 

 to meet the labor situation if more suitable living condi- 

 tions and better pay were provided. 



Where gangs of foreign laborers are imported, they are 

 much more contented and do better work if they work 

 together in colonies rather than as individuals. To 

 satisfy this condition requires large acreages. In some 

 communities movable houses are used by the contracting 

 laborers, the houses being moved from field to field as 

 necessary. These houses are very desirable where the 

 individual fields in a district are too small to make it 

 worth while to build permanent houses. 



The labor question is probably the most difficult gen- 

 eral problem with which the sugar-beet growers have to 

 contend. It is a problem that must be handled by com- 

 munity action or by the sugar companies who are gen- 

 erally well prepared to secure and distribute this labor, 

 since they can determine through their field men the 

 approximate labor situation throughout the territory 

 contributing beets to their factory. If the farmers can 

 be induced to report their probable labor needs to these 

 field men in advance, the proper amount of imported 

 labor usually can be secured. 



The United States Government is attempting to keep 

 in touch with the labor situation in all parts of the country 



