The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1915-01-16

commodity and the same applies 70
all articles OF use and diet OF him.
self and those engaged In the sub.
sidiary lines OF industry
There Is no payroll IN civilization
that does not rest upon the back
OF the farmer lie must pay the bills
-all OF them
The total value OF the nations
annual agricultural products is around
000.000.000 and IL is safe TO esti-
mate that 80 cents on every dollar
goes 10 meeting the expenses OF sub.
sidiary industries The farmer does
not work more than thirty minutes
per day for himself the remaining
thirteen hours OF the days toll he
deyotes 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 Il.
The annual payroll OF agriculture
approximates $4,000. 100000. A por-
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. Sl,252 100000;
manufacturers. S4,3G5000, 600; mining,
$685. 10000 banks. S200.000,000;
mercantile $3.500.00O 600. and a heavy
miscellaneous payroll constitutes the
remainder
II takes tho corn crop, the most
valuable in agriculture, which sold
last year for St,692 100000. to pay off
the employees OF the railroads; the
money derived from our annual sales
of livestock OF approximately $1,000,
000, 600. the yearly cotton crop, valued
az s920,000.O0o; the wheat crop
which is worth S6l0.0O0.000. and the
oat crop, that IS worth $if0.000,000
are required TO meet the annual pay.
roll OF the manufacturers. The
money derived from the remaining
staple crops Is used in meeting the
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 help
he has very little left and to meet
these tremendous payrolls he has
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 un-
necessary expenses This course is
absolutely necessary in order to avoid
a reduction in wages, and we want.
/ If possible, to retain the present wage
scale paid railroad and all other in.
dustrial employees
We will devote this article to a
discussion of unnecessary expenses
I and whether required by law or per.
mitted by the arrangements OF the
concerns. is wholly immaterial We
want all waste labor and eNtraya-
rance. OF whatever character, cut out.
We will mention the full crew bill as
Illustrating the character OF unneces-
4 sary expenses TO which we refer
Union Opposes Full Crew" Bill
The Texas Farmers Union regis.
I tered its opposition TO this character
OF Legislation at the last annual meet.
ing held in Fort Worth. Tex, August
! T. 1914 by resolution. which We quote,
as follows
The matter OF prime importance
to the farmers OF this state Is an ado
quate and efficient marketing system
and We recognize that such system
IL impossible without adequate rail
! road facilities. embracing the greatest
amount Of service at the least pos.
4 sible cost We further recognize that
the farmers and producers in the end
\ pay approximately 90 per cent of the
expenses OF operating the railroads.
] and 1t is therefore TO the interest OF
the producers that the expenses OF
! the common carriers be as small as
( is possible. consistent with good ser
] vice and safety We, therefore, call
upon our lawmakers. courts and
iuries 10 bear the foregoing facts in
mind when dealing with the common
carriers OF this state, and we do espe-
cially roaftlrm the declarations OF
the last annual convention OF our
state Union. opposing the passage OF
the so.called fullcrew' bill before
the thirt third legislature of Texas.
The farmers OF Missouri in the last
election by an overwhelming ma.
| iority. sae pt this law OF the statute
book OF that state and II should
come OF OF all statute books where
it appears and no Legislature OF this
nation should pass such a law or
similar legislation which requires un-
necessary expenditures.
The same rule applies to all regu-
I lutovV p1eoauros which incrpaSe the