The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-11-13
SEEK LAWS FOR
BUSINESS HELP
FARMERS AND MECHANICS UNITE
IN EFFORT 10 BUILD
nULwARKs.
COMMITTEE is NAMED
PART OF PLAN Is TO OPERATE
STORES IN CITIES THUS
SAVING MERCHANTS
PROFITS.
COMMITTEE is NAMED

Farmers and mechanics sat side
by side at Murphy's Hotel for two
days. beginning Saturday morning.
and discussed many matters OF vast
importance and interest to themselves
and Of great significance to all 9TH
era.
After devoting many hours to dis
GUESSING tha questions before them,
the joint body OF representative citi-
Gems from the various organized bod
les OF union farmers and working
men. committee on legislation was
named. with Mr.. E G.. DAvison, OF
this city. chairman. To this commit
tee will devolve the duly OF appear
Ing before the Legislature ana the
various committees OF that body,
whenever matters OF importance to
them arise to be discussed and acted
upon The object OF the committee
is to bring about a better condition
OF things as they apply TO t e FARM
er and the workingman. They want
legislation that will protect their In
terests-
Work for Committee.
Some OF the work laid out for The
committee to do is SUMMARIZED here.
To abolish convict labor. except go
far as 1t may apply to work on the
roads; to work cpnvicts on lime-
grinding pIants1eH Feeia nation cf
waste lands, and to tn. manufacture
of shoes for the use Of the convicts
themselves
To amend the female labor laws
to include workshop. anu mercantile
establishments in the restriction VI
hours OF labor.
To require the manufacturers OF
fertilizers to mark plainly on each
bag the ingredients nrafned there
IN and the source of their supply.
These Will be some of the principal
things which will require legislative
action. and the COMMITTEES Will work
hard to achieve their end.
Another matter OF great import
anee In the establishment ct stores
at convenient points throughout the
state for the purpose of distribution
Of produce. etc. direct from the
farms to the consumer, with the elm
inalon OF the middleman, thus Civ
ing the consumer the advantage OF
less cost and the farmer the advan-
tage OF saving the comm ission On
the sale OF his goods.
Might Injure Merchants.
Naturally this plan will be opposed
by tho commission merchant. whose
principal business la that Of dfsposiue
OF produce from tho farm. The al
lied unions realize this. They do not
wish to eliminate commission house.
altogether. and indicated that they
had no desire to interfere with any
business that ID conducted accordine
to the laws and rights Of citizens.
But" said ono of tn. delegates
the establishment Of these stores
will open up the way for those who
wish to secure goods IT less COS,
than they are now paying"
The idea is to esta biish central
warehouses in convenient sections
and from these warehouses the re-
taller may get his goods at the firs.
price, thus giving the consumer a
chance to save something on his pur-
chase.
1t Is quite likely that retail stores
will be established In Norfolk. New
port News Portsmouth. Lynehhurg
Roanoke and Richmond.
A subcommittee of the Federatio
OF Labor will work on the develop.
ment OF this proposition. and they
wifi have power to act whenever they
perfect their plans,
The body encouraged the Equal
Suffrage League by endorsing the
proposed bill TO be presented to the
Legislature. and they declared thai
they would do all they could to gel
its passage