Win The War by Working Six Days per Week
Title
Win The War by Working Six Days per Week
Creator
US Saturday Service League
Identifier
TI00246
Date
1918 April 2
Description
US Saturday Service League wants to change the practice of farmers taking Saturdays off in order to raise more food and feed.
Source
National Archives and Records Administration 130/68/3/00 box #3 entry #5 "Negroes" folder
Publisher
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library
Subject
African-Americans--segregation
Language
English
Text
Release-April____1918.
WIN THE WAR BY WORKING SIX DAYS PER WEEK
The time worn custom of observing Saturday, or part of it, as a holiday has almost become a law in the South, especially among farmers.
At a meeting of the Negro farm demonstration agents for the State of Alabama, held March 20-21-22, at Tuskegee Institute, the following resolutions were adopted unanimously:
WHEREAS, our country is in the midst of a world-wide war, the most gigantic in all history, it therefore becomes necessary that our people living in the rural districts, many of whom do not realize that we are really at war, be aroused to the seriousness of the struggle; and WHEREAS, every agency should be utilized to arouse our people and secure the cooperation of the white landlords and merchants; therefore be it RESOLVED, that the colored farm demonstration agents working in the State of Alabama form themselves into an organization to be known as the "U. S. (Uncle Sam's) Saturday Service League", and that campaigns throughout the State be instituted to conserve farm labor to help meet the unprecedented demand on the nation in supplying the much needed food and feed stuffs for ourselves and our allies.
To change this practice is indeed no easy task, yet to allow such to exist at a time when our Government is taking hundreds of thousands of the best laborers off the farms is nothing less than criminal.
In order to successfully carry on this propaganda we must have the confidence and secure the cooperation of all the people. For example, first in order to make up the deficiency in farm labor, the farmers will have to work longer hours and six days per week. Second, the landlords will be called upon to increase wages. Third, the merchants will have to fore-go some of the usual Saturday's trade. Unless the three above agencies coordinate, it is realized that very little can be accomplished.
The method adopted by the U. S. Saturday Service League for furthering this propaganda, throughout the State, is through posters, registration cards and service badges. Every ten or fifteen days a series of suggestive posters are issued. For instance, the two posters issued this week are as follows:
WHAT YOU SHOULD RAISE TO HELP WIN THE WAR
"Win the War by Working Six Days Per Week"
April: FOOD & FEED!
May: FOOD & FEED!
June: FOOD & FEED!
July: FOOD & FEED!
August: FOOD & FEED!
September: FOOD & FEED!
Approved: STATE COUNCIL OF DEFENCE
EXTENSION SERVICE OF THE A. P. I.
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
HOW YOU CAN HELP TO WIN THE WAR
"WIN the War by Working Six Days Per Week"
Sunday: Rest and keep it Holy
Monday: Work!
Tuesday: Work!
Wednesday: Work!
Thursday: Work!
Friday: Work!
Saturday: Work!
WIN THE WAR BY WORKING SIX DAYS PER WEEK
The time worn custom of observing Saturday, or part of it, as a holiday has almost become a law in the South, especially among farmers.
At a meeting of the Negro farm demonstration agents for the State of Alabama, held March 20-21-22, at Tuskegee Institute, the following resolutions were adopted unanimously:
WHEREAS, our country is in the midst of a world-wide war, the most gigantic in all history, it therefore becomes necessary that our people living in the rural districts, many of whom do not realize that we are really at war, be aroused to the seriousness of the struggle; and WHEREAS, every agency should be utilized to arouse our people and secure the cooperation of the white landlords and merchants; therefore be it RESOLVED, that the colored farm demonstration agents working in the State of Alabama form themselves into an organization to be known as the "U. S. (Uncle Sam's) Saturday Service League", and that campaigns throughout the State be instituted to conserve farm labor to help meet the unprecedented demand on the nation in supplying the much needed food and feed stuffs for ourselves and our allies.
To change this practice is indeed no easy task, yet to allow such to exist at a time when our Government is taking hundreds of thousands of the best laborers off the farms is nothing less than criminal.
In order to successfully carry on this propaganda we must have the confidence and secure the cooperation of all the people. For example, first in order to make up the deficiency in farm labor, the farmers will have to work longer hours and six days per week. Second, the landlords will be called upon to increase wages. Third, the merchants will have to fore-go some of the usual Saturday's trade. Unless the three above agencies coordinate, it is realized that very little can be accomplished.
The method adopted by the U. S. Saturday Service League for furthering this propaganda, throughout the State, is through posters, registration cards and service badges. Every ten or fifteen days a series of suggestive posters are issued. For instance, the two posters issued this week are as follows:
WHAT YOU SHOULD RAISE TO HELP WIN THE WAR
"Win the War by Working Six Days Per Week"
April: FOOD & FEED!
May: FOOD & FEED!
June: FOOD & FEED!
July: FOOD & FEED!
August: FOOD & FEED!
September: FOOD & FEED!
Approved: STATE COUNCIL OF DEFENCE
EXTENSION SERVICE OF THE A. P. I.
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
HOW YOU CAN HELP TO WIN THE WAR
"WIN the War by Working Six Days Per Week"
Sunday: Rest and keep it Holy
Monday: Work!
Tuesday: Work!
Wednesday: Work!
Thursday: Work!
Friday: Work!
Saturday: Work!
Original Format
Press Release
Files
Collection
Citation
US Saturday Service League, “Win The War by Working Six Days per Week,” 1918 April 2, TI00246, Race and Segregation Collection, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.