The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1915-01-21
SCOTLAND NECK, N. C., THURSDAY, JANUARY 2i, 1915.

amount of service at the least pos
slole 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 lawmakers. courts and
)ur1es 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 of the statute
book of that state, and it should
come of of all statute books where
1t appears and no legislature of this
nation should 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 legislatures-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
who bow their backs to the summers
sun to meet the payroll, but these
committees, while making a record
for themselves, rub the skin of the
shoulders of the srmer 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
ization, no matter how he may sweat,
foam and gall at the task When
legislatures "cut a melon for labor
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 is work for them. We must
therefore insist upon the most rigid
economy.
Legislative House Cleaning Needed.
While the war is on and there is a
lull in business, we want all legisla-
tive bodies to take an inventory of
the statute books and wipe off all
extravagant and useless laws. A good
house-cleaning is needed and econo-
mics can be instituted here and there
that vill patch the clothes Of INDECENT
children, rest tired mothers and lift
mortgages from despondent 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
schedule of wages, but we pay good
farm hands on an average of $1.5O
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 100000, 900
acres Of idle land on the earth's sur.
| face awaiting the magic touch of the
| plow. The compensation is easily Oh
| tainab1e from Federal Agricultural
! Department statistics. The total
average annual sales of a farm in
| the continental United States amounts
! to $4,000; the cost of operation is
| $4,000; leaving the farmer $176 per
annum to live on and educate his
! family.
There is no occasion for the legis
latures making a position for surplus
employees OF industry. Let them come
back to the soil' and share with us
the prosperity of the farm.