Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1915-01-22
PAYROLL Of
MET
BY FARMER
WANTS NO "DEADHEADS" ON
LIST OF EMPLOYEES.
4 CALL UPON THE LAW MAKERS
TO PREVENT USELESS TAX
UPON AGRICULTURE.
BY Peter Radfocd


BY Peter Radfocd
Lecturer National Farmers Union
The farmer is the paymaster of
industry and as such he must meet
the nations payroll. When industry
pays it's bill it must make a sight
draft upon agriculture for the amount,
which the farmer is compelled to
honor without protest This check
drawn upon agriculture may travel to
and fro over the highways of COM
| merce; may build cities; girdle the
globe with bands of steel; may search
hidden treasures in the earth or
traverse the skies, but in the end it
will rest upon the soil. No dollar
Will remain suspended in midair: it is
as Certain to seek The earth's suriace
as an apple that falls from a tree
When a farmer buys pillow he pays
the man who mined the metal. the
Woodman who felled the tree, the
manufacturer who assembled the raw
material and shaped it into an ar
tlcle OF usefulness, the railroad that
transported it and the dealer who
wages OF labor and capital employed
In NC t..uaaCt.On ~. veil as pays
Tor the tools, machinery, buildings,
ETC.. used in the construction of the
all articles of use and diet Of him.
self and those engaged in the sab-
stdiary lines Of industry.
There is no payroll in civilization
that does not rest upon the back
Of She farmer. He must pay the bills
ak Of them.
The total value Of the nations
annual agricultural products is around
$4,000 10000, and it is safe to esti-
mate that 95 cents on every dollar
goes 70 meeting the expenses Ut sup
sloiary industries TIE 4,rmer does
rof work more than thirty n,in3te~
Per DAY tGr sli!...:5lf, me remaining
l4il,. n hours CT the days tvil he
devotes to meeting the payroll of the
hired hands of agriculture, such as
the manufacturer, railroad, CONNER
cial and other servants.
The Farmers Payroll and How He
Meets It.
The annual payroll of agriculture
approximates $12,O00,OOO,OO0. A Dor.
ton OF the amount is shifted to for
eign countries in exports, but the
total payroll of industries working for
the farmer divides substantially as
follows: Railroads, $1,252, 900 900;
manufacturers, $4,365, 100000; mining.
$655.OO0,0O0; banks, 100000, 900;
mercantile $3,500,OOC,0OO, and a heavy
miscellaneous payroll constitutes the
remainder.
1t takes the corn crop. the most
valuable in agriculture, which sold
last year for 1882, 100000, to pay OF
the employees of the railroads; the
money derived from our annua. sales
OF livestock Of approximately $4,000
100000, the yearly cotton crop, valued
at $92O,000,O0O: the wheat cron
which is worth s61O,OOO,OOO, and the
oat crop, that is worth SAC. 900 900.
are required to meet the annual nav
roll OF the manufacturers. The
money derived from the remaining
staple crops is used in meeting tho
payroll of the bankers, merchants.
etc. After these obligations are paid
the farmer has only few punches Of
vegetables, some fruit and poultry
which he can sell and call the pro-
ceeds his own.
When the farmer pays off his helm
ne has very little left and to meet
these tremendous payrolls lie has
been forced to mortgage homes worL
women in the field and increase tho
hours OF his labor. We are. there.
fore, compelled to call upon all in.
dustries dependent upon the farmer.
for subsistence to retrench in their
expenditures and to cut off all I'M.
/ necessary expenses This course ia
absolutely necessary in order to avoid
a. reduction in wages. and NO want
II possible, to retain the present wage
scale paid railroad and all other in.
dustrial employees
We will devote this article to ,
discussion of unnecessary expenses
and whether required by law or per.
m1tted by the arrangements of the
concerns, is wholly immaterial. Wa
want all waste labor and extrava.
gance. OF whatever character, cut ont
we Will mention the full crew bill an