Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1903-04-09

What i, Means to The Thrssher And
Farmer.


Since the organization Of the
'Threshers National Protective ASSo-
citation. there has deem great deal OF
speculation and talk of higher prices
for threshing in this county. Some
people have almost gone wild over
the subject. BY reading this article
you will he convinced OF the true char
acter of the Association.
The T. n. P. A. is national union
the objects of which are to put the
business to work on business princi-
pies, to promote brOtherly feeling
and interest in the work; and to lend
united force and influence for the en-
actment Of laws that will protect the
threshermen the same as other classes
AS things now stand the thresher-
men is practically an outlaw In most
states. In meeting vehicles on the
highway there is no such thing as
contributory negligence On the other
side the threshermen are wholly re-
sponsible for whatever may happen.
II he falls through defective bridge
that be cannot avoid crossing In his
work, which is indispensable to the
public welfare, the county or town.
ship Is not responsible. The thresh.
ermen has no equal rights; he Is sim.
ply tolerated. He pays his part Of
the taxes for governmental protection
and be gets worse than nothing.
The only way to c0rreet all this is
through organization. 1t is hard to
describe the decentralization that ex-
lists In the threshermans business.
Improvements and new inventions
have been constantly increasing the
amount Of investmentsan the amount
Of machinery to keep In repair. This
improved machinery which requires
much more skill and experience to
operate, is saving hundreds Of dollars
to the farmer and has added 100 per
cent. to the cost Of the outfit to the
threshermen, who, instead of getting
p9fe mHhey for his1 WORK, fIas,seest.
the price 20 down.aS the amount in
vested goes up, a kind Of double joint
ed combination working both ways
against him. At a time when pros
perlty is within the grasp Of all other
classes, the hard working, big hearted
threshermen is struggling to meet his
payments as they come due and over
dpe pa ths ilaproyed machinery that
stands Tor 50 much to the farmer.
While the farmer, merchant, mac6ln.
jSts, miners and their families are en-
joying the lpxurieS THAI prosperity
brings, the threshermeps' household
is doing without even the necesSarles
OF lie, that the payments May be
met, This is speaking of thFeshing
as a business and what there is In it.
A few threshermen are lucky enough
to own farms (which they generally
had before starting In the threshlnR
(buslnesS) from which they make their
Tying or rather from which the wife
and children make the living, while
the husband Is Pvt trylns TO make
enough mqpey With the threshlng
machine to make 1t pay for itself by
the tine 1t is worn out. Often he is
broken down In health, and spirits
too, before this is accomplished.
Every farmer should read this care
fully-read it the second time If nec-
esSary to get the full meaning. The
picture is not overdrawn. 1t does not |
adequately describe the existing con-
ditions. The object Of this association
of threshermen is not to Cypress or
practice extortion upon anyone, but
Simply to work together In brotherly
way 20 ask good pay for good work |
Rnd the amount Of money Invested,
and to secure recognition of just
rights In the legislatures. Where the
objects of the T. N. P. A. are under
stood the thoughtful farmer is always
a warm friend Of the organization. 1t
is a live and let live policy. Good pay
to the threShermen means money