The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1912-06-14
Seattle, Wash, June 10, 1912


The Farmers Union and State Grange
have both held their annual state con-
ventions during the past two weeks,
The former was held in Spokane May 28
and 20 and the latter in Puyallup June
to 7.
Both organizations show remarkable
growth during the past year, the grange
having passed the 1900 mark in point
of membership Both organizations are
really progressive in both words and
actions.
| With them as with the trades unions,
it is necessary that they think and act
for all the farmers because individual
thought and action counts for little or
naught in the progress of today.
Their cooperative efforts in selling
their products and in buying that which
they consume benefits those who belong
to the movement, also benefits the man
who refuses to join their organization,
because their efforts force better prices
for farm produce from other buying cor
porations. Their efforts to eliminate the
middle man and avoid commissions is
rapidly reducing the commission busi.
ness in farm staples to a lesser profit
and consequently better prices to the
farmer.
1t is remarkable to note the degree to
which their organizations and the State
matters of legislation. In both organi
cations the Boy Scout movement came
in for severest criticism. In the grange
convention they went farther and pro-
tested the soliciting of recruits for the
army and navy from among the farm
ers' sons. Protests against the leasing
of farm lands to aliens were also adopt
ed AS the farmers are opposed both
to selling or leasing farm lands to aliens
we are in a quandry to know what the
many immigration congresses which are
being held under the guise of the Y. NJ.
c. A and development associations will
do with the immigrant. Put him to
work in the factory and mill at less than
American wages, of course.
President Case of the State Fedora
tion of Labor is a member of both the
grange and union and attended both
conventions as fraternal delegates. As
seventeen years of his early manhood
were spent on farm he is not strang-
er when associating with farmers. In
both conventions he was welcomed as
one of them and is accused by local
press agents as being one of the busiest
men in the grange convention.
Despite the assertions of politicians
that the efforts to maintain Joint leg
islative committee of farmers and or
ganized labor would not succeed these
organizations are proceeding along most
practical lines. Much literature of ar
educational nature is being printed Joint
ly and now comes the word that an
agreement is being reached whereby leg
islative candidates will be pledged in
the name of the joint legislative com.
mittee, representing the four state or
ganization.
Twenty five hundred thousand copies
of the Legislative Review have been
printed and circulated in response to re-
quests received. A tabulated report is
in preparation, from which one can tell
at a glance just how members of the
legislature voted on bills and amend
ments thereto. Fifty thousand of these
will be necessary to supply the demand
1t is the greatest educational work ever
undertaken and one which supplies a
long felt want of the masses of the peo.
pie for true information.