The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-12-10
labor SUPPLY MUST
REGULATE WAGES
Continued from Fifth Page.

manufacturing and commerce. If the
masses Of the people that live in the cities
are prosperous then they can buy more
freely of the products of the farm, and
farm prices are maintained. But if the
market for farm products becomes re-
stricted because of the inability OF the
people in the cities TO buy then farm
prices must suffer. In a country like this
losses that come to one class of citizens
must in a measure be borne by all classes.
So the farmer cannot hope to escape the
disastrous results occasioned by labor
controversies in other industries. Looking
at the question broadly. therefore, the
farmer as well as all other classes OF peo-
pie must depIore this labor warfare as
being hurtfuI 10 their own interests as
well as to the interests Of the entire coun-
try. / want to talk more about this labor
question from the farmers standpoint
to you than from the standpoint of the
manufacturer. because this is essentially
an agricultural community and because
you gentlemen are dependent upon the
prosperity of the farmers. The farmers
would understand the labor question bet
ter if they Were brought in direct contact
with the unions. If organized labor con-
tinues to grow in power in the cities and
towns it may not be long before the farm
ers will also have to deal with it.
would like to ask the farmers what
they would say if their farm hands should
come TO them when the grain is ripe for
the cutting and demand an eight-hour
day-in other words that they would re-
fuse to work longer than from eight
,a
evening. Suppose, also. that they would
threaten that unless they were given
large advance in wages, and a reduction
in hours. they would abandon their work
and let the wheat and corn rot in the
fields. Suppose, also, that when the farm
ers refuse this demand the farm hands
should picket themselves about the farm
with plenty of stones near at hand, so
that no one would dare to take their
places. Suppose that the farm hands for
miles around were in secret league with
the strikers. Now. again suppose that
one farmer was a fighter and he went to
town and gathered up some non-union
men and that when they returned to the
farm they were set upon by the strikers
and beaten. Suppose that the farmer
should appeal to the constables of the JUS
tice court for protection, and the consta-
bles came and arrested the non-union
men instead of the real aggressors. Sup
pose that the farmer swore out warrants
against the picketers and when the trial
came on ii developed into a farce. the
jury acquitting the union men and fi1ing
the non-union employees. And lastly, sup
pose that the farmer went home with the
finger of scorn pointed at him by his
neighbors and that in addition his home
paper should give him good roast. The
experience of such a farmer would not
be different from that which many an en-
ployer of labor has had in the cities and
towns of this country during the last year.
In fact. many employers have had far
worse experiences. In some eases they
have been shot and their property de-
stroyed. Not only have the employers
suffered from union warfare. but the
masses of the people in the cities have
also suffered Take for instance. the milk
wagon drivers union in the city of Chi
caso. This union struck against making
two deliveries of milk a day. and although
the board of health authorities and some
of the newspapers pleaded with the union
on account of the great mortality that
was occasioned among the babies of Chi
cago by the reason of their being able
to get milk but once a DAY, and because
of its being stale and unwholesome when
they did get it, this union refused to
modify its rules of delivery. We have
recently seen a great street railway strike
in Chicago which compelled 800. 900 people
to walk to and from their work for two
weeks, during which the mobs of the I'M
ion prevented the car lines from being
operated This strike was undertaken to
compel the company to grant the unions
absolute power over its employees. The
company was asked to give up its right
to discharge men without the consent
of the union and its right to employ men
who did not belong to the union. / might
go on and give many similar instances.
but it would be merely a tiresome dupli-
cation of the same old story of the exer-
else of authority by unions that is unau-
thorized by the laws Of the United
States. The farmers may sympathze
with the workmen in the cities but they
certainly cannot sympathize with the
methods Of organized labor. and it is
against these methods that the employers
of this country are now beginning To or
game. 1 noticed in the papers the other
day that a great iron firm in the state OF
New York which has heretofore conducted
an open shop. has caused its men TO be
unionized in order that IL might be able
"a sell its product Of rivets. The struct-
ural iron workers refused u use the
rivets unless they were sauctifitd 10y be
ing made by union hands. The company
surrendered for the sake OF temporary
gain its own convictions as To right and
wrong. and now a membership in a la
Dor union is d necessary qualification Of
any man who seeks employment in that
factory This is a marked example of
the dangerous power which IS welded b.
organized labor. which power if not check
mated, VIII make It Impossible for any
man To earn decent livelihood unless he
first swears allegiance 10 the labor bosses.
Let organized labor once obtain a com
plete hold on the manufacturing industries
Of the country and the farmer VIII then
take his turn in paving tribute 10 t. IN
fact unions az farm hands have already
been started IN some parts Of the country.
and Il is one az the expressed purposes
% the American Federation ~ labor .
organize the farm hands IS soon IS pos
sibie.
Z raay be that there are such practical
Obstacles in the way q forming farm
unions that labor Organization in this d.
reciion VIII not be very successful. but
20 The degree that It IS successful must
the farmer feel The blight that CONES