The Meeker herald., 1915-01-23
PAYROLL OF I
CIVILIZATION MET
BY FARMER
WANTS NO aoEADHEADs" ON
LIST OF EMPLOYEES.
A CALL UPON THE LAW MAKERS
TO PREVENT usELEss TAX
UPON AGRICULTURE.

oy Peter Radsord
Lecturer National Farmers' Union
The farmer IL the paymaster Of
industry and ~ such he must meet
the nations payroll. When industry
pays its bill It must make . sight
draft upon agriculture for the amount.
which the farmer ID compelled TO
honor without protest. This check
drawn upon agriculture may travel to
and fro over the highways Of COM
merce: may build cities; girdls the
globe with bands Of steel; may search
hidden treasures In the earth or
Traverse the skies, but in the end II
viii rest upon the soil. No dollar
viii remain suspended In midair: 1t II
~ certain to seek the earth's surfacs
~ an apple that falls from . tree.
When . 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 II into an Ar
ticle Of usefulness. the railroad that
transported 1t and the dealer who
sold him the goods. He pays the
wages Of labor and capital employed
in the Transaction a. well ~ pays
for the tools. machinery. buildings.
ets., used in the construction Of the
commodity and the same applies to
all articles Of use and diet Of him
self and those engaged In the sub
sidiary lines Of industry.
There IL no payroll In civilization
that does not rest upon the back
OF the farmer. He must pay the bills
all Of them.
The total value Of the nations
annual Agricultural products IL around
vi. 900. 000, 900, and It II safe to esti-
mate that 96 cents ON every dollar
goes to meeting the expenses Of sub
sidiary industries. Tho farmer does
not work more than thirty minutes
per dAy for himself: the remaining
thirteen hours Of the days toll he
devotss to meeting the payroll Of the
hired hands Of agriculture. such ~
the manufacturer, railroad. CONNER.
cial and other servants.
This Farmers Payroll and How Hs
n Nests Il.
The annual payroll Of agriculture
approximatss $4,000. 100000. A por-
ton Of the amount ID shifted to for.
eign countries In exports. but the
total payroll Of industries working for
the farmer divides substantially a.
follows: Railroads, 31.762. 900 900:
manufacturers. s4.Ss5. 0oo. 900; mining.
SGS6. 900 900; banks. 5000. 600 900:
mercantile $500. 900 900. and heavy
miscellaneous payroll constitutes the
rewainder.
II takes the corn crop. the most
valuable in agriculture. which sold
last year for 1861. ooo. 900. to pay on
the employees Of the railroads: the
money derived from our annual sales
Of livestock Of approximately $1,000
000. 060. the yearly cotton crop. valued
At $3.50, 000. 900; the wheat crop,
which h worth $3.50. 900. Aad the
oat crop. that Il worth SAC. 0O0, 900.
are required to meet the annual pay
roll Of the manufacturers. The
money derived from the remaining
staple crops II used In meeting the
payroll Of the bankers. merchants.
etc. After these obligations IRE paid,
the farmer has only q few punches Of
vegetables. some fruit and poultry
which he can sell and call the pro
ceeds his own.
When the farmer pays on 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 on all un.
necessary sxpenses. This course ID
absolutely necessary in order to avoid
reduction in wages. and We want.
II 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.
mittsd BY the manasements Of the
concerns, ID wholly immaterial. We
want all waste labor and extfava-
rance, Of whatever character, cut out.
We viii mention the full crew bill q