The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-10-12
Rarely have

opinions among advanced
thinkers as Mayor Nathan. Pesfdas
am told, he knows every man nrrrrf
nent in Rome in any movement ar 49,
ganization whatever. ] was glad T., ..
at table with him and his guests. T,a-
all knew sufficient Of the Amergo,
trade union movement to be aware -e
its militant character.
In thus making Some mention or
umbe of the gatherings to which
have been rushed during the last r..,-
days, my purpose, | hope. is plain
is to show my American readers tr.
present setate of prevailing public
opinion in Italy, or its great centres
rather, with relation to the social
movements of today. and in partiCulf~
toward trade uniOnism as develona4
in the United States. The radIoai
w~orkingmen here admire American
unionism; the leaders of thought r4-
garding a worldwide working class
movement as inevitable. see possjbii-
ties in the American methods for
progress with possible peace for con
tinual steps toward a better s0ciet-
without the violent collisions ami
frightful errors liable to precipitat.
dissolution and imperfectly plann.i
reformation.
[ have been attracted in Rome In
the international Institute Of AgricHl-
ture and its purposes. It's most gen
eral aim is to lessen unnecessary fll1c-
Uo III tIS u , p4lCCS Vi Iil-
sta pies of agriculture, thus benefitiug
the capital and labor of farm and
factOry;-Of the farm. because such
fluctuations are manipulated agaju~t
the interests Of the producer and
therefore of his labor; of the factory.
because they lead to precautionary
measures on the part of the manu-
facturer detrimental to the interests
Of labor, the staples being the raw
material of the factory. The way TO
lessen unnecessary fluctuations. the
promoters of the Institute believe. is
to obtain. assemble. and disseminata
timely and authoritative rep0rts Of
the worlds supply Of the staples,
publicity being the determining factor
in the formation of prices and tending
toward their steady m~aintenance-
Such reports must relate to the en-
tire producing area of the staples.
Secretary Wilson Of the Department
of Agriculture. saying: reports coy
ering part of an area Of a given crop
may be used by s~elf-interest crop-re-
porting agencies to mislead." A.
present there is no such authoritative
information to be had. The infOrnra-
ton now O~btainable consists. efthor
of official reports issued by q few goz-
ernments, elaborated under varying
systems, or (for by far the larger
portion of the worlds u9
reports gathered and published at
private expense, by divergent groups
of private interests, and consequently
BIASED. The few who understand
what this situation implies stand
amazed at it's significance. 1t points tt
q monopoly in the knowledge of tn"
worlds supply, dangerous, respOnsibj"
to no nation. The aim of such Fl
monopoly must be private gain at pub
lie expense. It is the father OF tn
trust. 1t .diminishes the teasure of
bread of the %toilers, and turns topsT
tnrVV the law of SlDDjy and fpr0HV F
And it is to check this cOrmOrHH+
that the international Institute at
Agriculture was founded. Forty-eigt'
nations. having ratified a treaty. ha%"
given the Institute its seat in Rom .
where a noble building has heep
provided for by the king, Italy not b.
ing an exporting or importing country
on the worlds markets. Each of IT,.
nations to this treaty, having by il
OWL system gathered information @'
to its growth of the staples OF agric -
ture, is to SEMI a report to the Inst
tute, where after being assembI"t
with the rest, all the knowledge vii"
be open to the world, free as the utr
permitting supply and demand o.
operate unimpeded.
Mr.. David Lubin, delegate of tHr
United States to the Institute, is d.
voting his time and large means SO
promoting the Institute. I have rea-
son to believe in his entire sincerjit.
having watched his work for fittt.a
years in the United States, and as ta'
enterprise is a helpful one to mankin.
| have looked into it, as best | mI@"D
and deem it noteworthy among I""
institutions 1 have visited and deser|-
ing the sympathetic, practical @.'
continued support of our Federal C'
eminent. The Institute, I am inturt
ed, Will be ready to issue its rer'T.r
early in the coming year; and the t"'
ference, wherein all nations 9TH /
included) will be represented by t'"
delegates each, will take place in ."
city in December.
SAMUEL GOMPEES
I'D Rather Die. Doctor.