<Edgecombe Co>

PENELO, N.C. 2/13/1918

Hon. T. W. Bickett,
Raleigh, N.C.

My dear Governor:-

I am up against the fence and am writing you to-night for your advice.

I am a farmer of Edgecombe Co. You know the farmers have been asked as well as other classes to do their “bit” in regards to the war. I am quite sure we stand ready to do our part as much as any class of people. I have read and noticed in all papers that food will win the war. If this be true which no doubt it is to a certain extent and I have noticed other articles saying conserve food will win the war, now what I want to know is this- If 50% of the very best labor is taken from the farm, who will make the food to win the war? You well know that a man is at his best from 20 to 40 years of age and if no food is made in 1918 you will have no food in 1919 to conserve.

As I have stated before, I am a farmer, 38 years old and have on my place the following labor—: 2 men 80 years old each, 1 man about 50 years old, 5 men between 21 & 31 years, married, 1 man 23 single. These last named 6 men have received their classification cards, without any exception placing them in class 1, which means that I now have nine man hands and when the call comes will only have three. You can see from the ages of two of these that they cannot feed themselves so I will have that to do, so leaves me with one man on a ten horse farm. Furthermore I have bought for this years operation about $4000 worth of fertilizer, this for my farm. I am not appealing to you for the sake of my pocket-book nor my men but this is the condition in the rural districts of your state and of others also, I am sure.

I am sure your attention has been called to this fact before and if our Country wants the farmers to do their “bit” then our Country should do its bit to help the farmers. It seems to me if something isn’t done to keep the labor on the farm, its only a short time before food is more scarce than it is now.

I know you are not aware of the fact that it is impossible for farmers to make any success with green labor as it is other enterprises.

I will be glad of a reply of advice on the lines above mentioned.

With my very best wishes, I am,

Yours to serve,

J. C. Killebrew.

P. S. There are three farms that join mine, in the same position as to labor as I am.

J. C. K.