Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1915-01-14
oKoLoNA, MISSISSIPPI THURSDAY. JANUARY "A. 1915
Illustrating the character Of unneces.
sary expenses to which we refer
Union Opposes "FuI Crew" Bill.


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-
quate and efficient marketing system;
and we recognize that such a 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 of
the common carriers be as small as
is possible, consistent with good SER
vice and safety We, therefore, call
upon our law makers, courts and
jurles to bear the foregoing facts in
mind when dealing with the common
carriers of this state and we do espe-
cially reaffirm 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 it should
come off of all statute books where
1t appears and no legislature of this
nation shout pass such law or
similar legislation which requires un-
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 egislatures-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
committees, while making 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 it enacted" goad him on
to pull and surge at the traces of civil
izatlon, no matter how he may sweat,
foam and gall at tn task When
legislatures "cut melon'' for labor
they hand the farmer a lemon.
The farme:1 Of the United States
are not fir, taily able to carry dead
heads -. shojr payrolls Our own
hire" T. ~ 1se not paid unless we
haI on, &irg for them to do and
we an a. Ming to carry the hired
help OF dependent industries unless
there is work ter them. We must
therefore insist upon the most ristA
economy.
Legislative House.cIeaniag Needsa,
While the war is on and there is :
lull in business, we want all legisla-
tive bodies to take an inven cry al
the statute books and wipe of 81.
extravagant and useless laws A gcj
house-cleaning is needed and econ
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 workmen taken off and
useless expenses chopped down all
along the line will add to the pros
perity OF the farmer and encourage
him in his mighty effort to feed and
clothe the world
If any Of these industries have sur,
plus employees we can use them on
the farm We have no regular
oChCbulS va "CSCcs UuI VIC pay 6OUu
farm hands on an average of 81 80
per day OF thirteen hours when they
board themselves; work usually runs
about nine months of the year and the
three months dead time. they can do
the chores for their board II they
prefer to farm on their own account,
there are more than $4,000 100000
acres Of idle land on the earth's sur
face, awaiting the magic touch OF the
plow The compensation is easily OBJ
tainabe from Federal Agricultural
Department statistics The total
average annual sales of a farm in
the continental United States amounts
to S516GO; the cost of operation ts
$4,000; leaving the farmer S176 per
annum TO live on and educate his
family.
There is no occasion for the legis-
latures making position for surplus
employees of industry. Let them come
back to the soil" and share with us
the prosperity of the farm.
When honesty is merely a good
policy it is a door virtue