Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-04
Weekly Bureau of In
formation for All Who
Till the Soil or Are In
terested in Making Homes
OPPOSES UNION OF FARMERS
AND FEDERATION OF LABOR
Reader Seen No Advantage In Al
lance OF Apparently Diverse
interests.

y render, who styles himself "Ulu-
mate Consumer sees l!;tle TO he gained
by tho alliance between the Farmers
Union and the Federation OF Labor.
His communication on the subject. adj
dressed TO The Times Dispatch. fol-
lows:
Is not the spectacle We see in the
Farmers Union aillia;ine with tho Fed
Grafton of Labor rather peculiar? DO
the farmers realize that the labor
unions which have federated arc OIL
cered by corps Of extraordinary brainy
men. men who VIII use every power
they are able Of influencing 10 further
the interest OF higher wages shorter
hours. and the chcapeninE OF the cost
of living?
Can they imagine any labor union or
any federation OF labor unions advo-
eating higher prices OF any article OF
food or clothing?
How are these labor unions TO help
the farmer? BY passing eiEht-hour
work day laws? Even the owner OF a
farm, who works side by side with his
union day lRhorers. II he is a good
union man. must stop when the rest of
his brother labor upionists quit.
SAYS LABOR UNIONS
HAVE MORE TO GAIN
1t looks to some OF us--who don't
know. ! admit--that the Federation OF
Labor have more To gain by such an
alliance than the Farmers Union. and
we would be glad 10 have some officer
of the Farmers Union IN Virginia to
explain the cause OF the alliance.
Suppose the farmer helps the laboring
man to legislate for better conditions
affecting his employment-which he
should do. Rnyway-does he expect this
man In turn to help him to add cent
to the price of n bushel of potatoes, or
head of cabbage?
The farmers are not likely TO get
moro money for what they have TO sell
until they In some way lessen the
rakeon Of the middlemen. The men
who handle the farmers crops have
their unions. and precious little help
are these mon going to give him.
IT seems to me the Farmers Union
should devote their efforts TO perfect
ing methods of reaching the ultimate
consumers without making cntangling
alliances with avowcd politicians and
labor unions. resting assured that the
great army Of ultimate consumers will
wish them God speed in cutting down
the terrific percentage now going Into
the pockets of middlemen. making tho
cost oftimes rs to 100 per cent over
what the farmer receives
CAN'T OPERATE FARMS ON
UNION LABOR PRINCIPLE
/ am not opposed To labor unions for
they have accomplished much, and are
necessary to curb the avarice Of cor
porRte wealth.
There has been, and will continue
to be. commercial fight between can
'tal and labor, between the producer
and the consumer. between the buyer
and the seller. Farmers know on
which side they stand, and should gov
crn themselves accordingly
rho average farm cannot be run like
- coal mine, railroad q manufacturing
l'iant and when these public works
lahoring men unionizc the farm labor
ana when some bright morning YOU
una your men on n strike because YOU
worked some nonunion laborer, YOU will
scratch your head. Again, an cdirt will
go out that no farm union man must
work for less than IL 10 20 cents an
lour. effective In certain territories
ana should you happen to he In dcsig-
mated territory, with crops ready 10 be
harvested, you'll scratch again
Many OF the men now farming have
worked In official capacities with large
concerns. have experienced labor troiI-
hlc, and they know the unreasonable
way many strikes have been called
Farmers are the most independent
men on earth, yet. with their labor
unionized they VIII find themselves In
deep trouble
By hobnobbing with the leaders OF
Gn!onized labor. going one step. they
VIII he expected TO 20 twain. In their
effort 10 use" the political mower of
Federated labor they are likely to he
used themselves, against their own
interests