Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1875-04-02
Patrons of Musbanlrv.
EAST GALLATIE. n. r.,
s March sd. 1878

L
EAST GALLATrz, N. T.,
March sd, 1873
EDITOR AWAIT CoUR1RR:
The Orderof Patrons of Husbandrv ha,
ior IT. object the social, intellectual and
financial Improvement of the largest clasl
OF people in our common country. In I'll
these great undertakings the movement
has met with succesa But in undertakina
TO manage their own pesuuiary affairs fol
themselves the farmers have met with
|aericus opposit,on. A this is the case in
0allatin county, and Is the matter has
been only partially ventilated in the coun.
|ty papers, we offer our views.
All of the commodities of life come 10
US from the, latent resources of nature by
tbs hand of labor. The Furnished steel,
the fabric we wear and the bread we cal
come to us only by the hand of the laborer.
There is no royal road'' to the fountain
|of wealth. The brawny arm of labor has
and ever will produce the worlds wealth.
Hard work, mental and physical alone
can convert the elements of nature into
the cQnveniences of life. Iron ore, cotton
and the productive soil do us no good with.
|ont the hand of labor be first applied.
Now since these commodities are the pro.
dnct Of labor, it is evident that their value
will be in proportion to the labor required
to produce them, for it is labor that has
given them their value as shown above.
We will state here that as the law of sup
ply aud demand" does not affect this ar-
Gument we pass It over. Now it is evident
that any Unnecessary labor employed in
production increases the cost of the article
produced. Again, after these articles of
consumption are ready for market addi-
tional labor is required in delivering them
to the consumer, and, of course, any I'M
necessary labor employed in this business
increases the cost of the article.
The farmer, as the chief laborer in the
production of the worlds wealth, has at
last come to the con fusion, 1st: That
it is not advantageous either to the pro-
ducer or consumer to employ unnecessary
labor either in production or exchange
ID: That the labDrer should be- rewarded
in proportion to the work done, both in
production and exchange.
Now, let US make All application Of these
Gallatin county: The farmer
produces breadstuffs and meats; the mcr
chant keeps clothing and groceries. II the
farmer employs three laborers to raise two
thousand b shells of grain when two
could accomplish the same work, the cost
OF labor is increased fifty per cent. and
the consumer must pay for bread and beef
accordingly. If the mere Mt employs
four clerks and two store rooms for the
purpose Of selling one hundred thousand
dollars worth of goods IN year. when
two clerks and one store room would have
answered, the cost of clerk hire, rent. fuel.
license. &c, is increased one hundred perl
cent, and the consumer foots the bill.
The time has gone by when farmers could
Afford to hire unnecessary labor at all, for|
strict economy is the price Of . livelihood
y this calling 10 Gallat,n county. But
low is il with The merchant? In Bozeman
here are twelve business houses and
clerks and managers together,
With families belonging to these parties,
I is claimed must prosper off of the bust
ess done there. We. claim that three
ouses aud eight clerks and managers
ould do the same business, thereby dis
osing of nine houses and sixteen clerks
. unnecessary cost to the consumer. i
Again, when risks are equal capital in
esied in the different pursuits should ra-
nm equal profits. In this country of
'osts and gfasshoppers forming is certain
as uncertain as merchandising. but the
rofits Of the two kinds Of business here
fore have been very unequal The most
house now in Bozeman beganl
lsiness there with less capital than some
the farmers of Gallatin valley, but to.
y that house could buy dozen of the
riftiest farmers in.the county. Again,
cording to the present system the mer-l
lant who sells wares to the farmer makes!
8 business support him in the enjoyment L
the luxuries of life while the farmers
lsiness compels him to work hard audi
re rough. Who has failed to marx the
ntrast between the two classes? Being
liable to see the necessity or justice of i
CHI q commercial system, two million
ult agEicultuIists have struck for reform.
nd the emo is not yet" They propose II
appropriate the money that they have
retofore paid for the support of unneces-
~ middle men to the education of thelri
N children who, under the old system,
We been compelled to remain IN com
rative ignorance. They propose that the
,ney now appropriated to the buildingI
unnecessary store and dwelling houses
towns, for the benefit of unnecessary
ddlemen, be used for the erection of
rms and dwellings, in the place of the
! cabins now In use on the farms.
We repeat that, since nature has ordered
II labor is the price OF the Injuries and
cessities of life, he who performs this
nor should enjoy it's fruits, and that we
an Order will labor to reform q systeml-,
i heretofore has been partial in reward "
, different classes of wOrkmen.
More anon,
Cuy nm p..vrNy