The Cairo bulletin., 1915-01-10

been forced to mortgage homes, work
women in the field and increase the
hours OF his labor. We are. there
fore, compelled to call upon all In.
dustries dependent upon the farmers
for subsistence to retrench In their
expenditures and to cut OFF all I'M
necessary expenses. This course is
absolutely necessary In order to avoid
reduction in wages, and We want,
il possible, to retain the present wage
scale paid railroad and all other in
dustrial employees.
We will devote this article to q
discussion OF unnecessary expenses
and whether required by law or per-
mitted by the arrangements of the
concerns. is wholly iihmateriai. We
want all waste labor and extrava-
gance, of whatever character. cut out.
we will mention the full crew bill as
illustrating the character Of unneces-
sary expenses to which we refer.
Union Opposes "FulI Crew" Bill.
The Texas Farmers Union regis
tered its opposition to this character
of legislation at the last annual meet
ing held in Fort Worth, Tex, August
4, 1914, by resolution, which We quote,
as follows:
The matter Of prime Importance
to the farmers of this state is an ade-
quate and efficient marketing system
aud we recognize that such system
road facilities, embracing the greatest
amount of service at the least pos
sible cost. We further recognize that
the farmers and producers IN the END
pay approximately 95 per cent of the
expenses OF operating the railroads,
and it is therefore to the interest OF
the producers that the expenses Of
the common carriers be as small as
vice and safety. We, therefore, call
upon our lawmakers, courts and
juries to bear the foregoing facts in
mind when dealing with the common
cially reafFrm the declarations Of
the last annual convention OF our
State Union, opposing the passage OF
the so-called fulIcrew' bill before
the thirty-third legislature of Texas
The farmers of Missouri in the last
election, by an Overwhelming ma
jority, swept this law off the statute
book OF that state, and it should
come off of all statute books where
it appears and no legislature OF this
nation should pass such law or
similar legislation which requires I'M
necessary expenditures.
The same rule applies to all regu.
latory measures which increase the
expenses OF industry without giving
corresponding benefits to the public.
There is ofttimes body of men as
sembled at. legislatures-and they
have right to be there-who, in
their zeal for rendering their fellow
associates a service, sometimes favor
an increase in the expenses Of in
dustry without due regard for the men
, who bow their backs TO the summers
sun to meet the payroll, but these
7 committees, while making record
! for themselves, rub the skin off the
shoulders OF the farmer by urging the
| legislature to lay another burden
| upon his heavy load and under the
lash of "be it enacted goad him on
to pull and surge at the traces of civil
ization, no matter how he may sweat,
foam and gall at the task. When
| legislatures "cut melon" for labor
they hand the farmer a lemon.
! The. farmers of the United States
are not financially able to carry dead
heads on their payrolls. Our own
hired hands are not paid unless we
have something for them to do and
We are not willing. to carry the hired
help OF dependent Industries unless
there is work for them. We must
therefore insistsupen the most rigid
economy.
Legislative House.c Cleaning Needed.
While the war is on and there Is a
| lull in business, we want all legisla
| tive bodies to take an inventory oil
the statute books and wipe off all
extravagant and useless laws. A good
housekeeping is needed and econo
mics can be instituted here and there
that will patch the clothes of INDECENT
children, rest tired mothers and lift
mortgages from Respondent homes
| Unnecessary workmca taken off and
| useless expenses chopred down al
along the line vii! add TO the pros
| perity of tbs fufrsr and encourage
~ ;. ~, =. ~ -r-s - $50. -....