Sierra County advocate., 1915-02-05

payroll OF the bankers, merchantG,
.etc. After these obligations are paid.
the farmer has only few lunches OF
vegetables, some fruit and poultry
which he can sell and call the pro-
ceeds his own.
When the farmer pays of 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 of all un-
necessary expenses. This couEse is
absolutely necessary In oraer 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-
mitted by the managements OF the
concerns, is wholly immaterial. We
want all waste labor and extrava-
gance, of whatever character. cut out.
We will mention the full crew bin as
illustrating the character OF unneces1
sary expenses to which we refer.
Union Opposes "FuII 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-
auate and efficient marketing SYSTEM;
and we recognize that such system
is impossible without adequate rail-
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 1t is therefore to the interest OF
the producers that the expenses OK
the common carriers be as small as
is possible, consistent with good SER
vice and safety. We, therefore, call
upon our lawmakers. courts and
juries to bear the foregoing facts In
mind when dealing with the common
carriers OF this state, and we do espe-
cially reafflrm the declarations OF
the last annual convention OF our
State Union. opposing the passage OF
the so-called 'full-crew' 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 1t should
come of of all statute books where
1t appears and no legislature of this
nation should pass such a law or
similar legislation which requires unr
necessary expenditures.
The same rule applies to all regus
iatory 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 service. sometimes favor
an increase in the expenses OF in
dustry without due regard for the men
who bow their backs 10 the summers
sun to meet the payroll, but these
committees, while making o record
for themselves, rub the skin OF the
shoulders of the farmer by urging the
legislature to lay another burden
upon his heavy load and under the
lash OF "be 1t 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 a melon soss i!:ssc.
they hand the farmer 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 Ii work for them. We must
therefore insist upon the most rigid
economy.
DEGREES OF Vocabulary.