Semi-weekly herald. [volume] (Durango, Colo.) 1907-1917, 1910-03-07
<ED LABOR AND
FARM Err.
THE

labor is reaping what 1t has sown I'm
feioubtedly high prices of food have
fseen measurably brought about by
conditions induced by organized labor.
Labor unions have screwed up wages
and screwed down hours OF work, until
z they have created conditions that have
seriously depleted farm labor by draw
ing much of 1t into the maelstrom of
city toll. No survey of the situation
is adequate that does not take into
account the scarcity of farm labor,
which has been in great measure in.
duced by high wages and short hours
in the city And these conditions have
in some part been brought about by
that ugly weapon which organized la.
Dor now turns against the farmers
the boycott
Doubtless the unions think they are
hurting the meat trust" rather than
the farmers. But as blind followers
of the blind they cannot escape re-
sponsibility for the effect of their boy.
colt They cannot Touch the packers.
they are entrenched in the sure po-
sition of middlemen. and 1t requires
no great intelligence to understand
tbai fact
If is tn tho credit of tho Central
Trades and Labor Council 81 Iouis
that it voted down a boycott reso
luton on the ground that il would ac
oounlisb rotbing and u,o,,,d coueo emf
bnr of unions or that citv howaver
have acted INDEPENDENTLY and circu
lated bovcott hedges
Rut If Is amazing that labor unions
fatuousIv fail tn 500 that the hovcot.
i; two-edeed sword Alreadv letters
arc reaching ne nronos;po that farm
ers retaliate with n boycott on the
nroducte ,f oryani2ad labor On Mon
dav Kansas stock dealer sent out
IN ono circular calls tn farmers in Kan.
sas Missouri iowa and Illinois for a
deIegate convention al Kansas Civ to
retoliote against the unions which have
bovcotted meat Heaven help the
workmen If the farmers turn their own
weapon against them. The farm can
live without e shop. The shop can.
not live without the farm. 1t is de-
sirable to fight the devil with fire only
as last resort. but sometimes we
reach that last resort. II is to be
hoped that we have not yet reached It.
breeders Gazette.
The result of the meat boycott is
quite evident at this time-a failure,
So far as accomplishing the object
sought but the Gazette is unneces.
sarily riled because of the part taken
by organized labor. 1t may be that
organized labor is responsible for some
OF the ills of life, but how about the
trusts. The Gazette does not have
one word TO say regarding illegal com
binations that are more of menace
to the country than the laboring PEG.
many ill-advised strikes and conse-
quent hardships brought about by or
ganized labor, but would the Gazette
have men remain idle while their life
blood is squeezed out of them? How
about the recent strike of shirt waist
makers in Philadelphia and New York
where it was found the poor girls were
not receiving sufficient compensation
TO keep body and soul together with
honest toll If it had not been for
organization it would not have been
possible to have enlisted the aid OF
so many leading society women. rich
women, who came to their rescue, re.
sulting in better wage and better con.
ditions.
Organization should not mean OPP
preston but securing of Just rights by
united action.
Returning to the boycott feature,
nothing has been accomplished. A
temporary reduction was noted for a
few days. dealers working off surplus
stocks, but within two weeks after the
boycott was inaugurated prices of all
kinds of meats advanced. The boycott