The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1915-01-21
PAYROLL Of
CIVILIZATION MET
BY FARMER
WANTS NO "DEADHEADS" ON
LIST OF EMPLOYEES.
A GALL UPON THE LAW MAKERS
TO PREVENT USELESS TAX
UPON AGRICULTURE.



Lecturer National Farmers Union
The farmer 10 the paymaster Of
industry and a. such he must meet
the nations payroll. When industry
pays its bill II must mako . sight
draft upon agriculture for the amount.
which the farmer IL compelled to
honor without protest This check
drawn upon agriculture may travel to
and fro over the highways OF com.
merce; may build cities; sirdle tho
globe with bands OF steel: may search
hidden treasures In the earth or
traverse the skies. but In the end Il
will rest upon the soil. No dollar
will remain suspended In midair; II is
as certain TO seek the earth's surface
m an apple that falls from a tree.
When . farmer buys o plow he pays
the man who mined Tie metal. the
woodman who folled The tree. the
manufacturer who assem- bled the raw
material and shaped IL into an ar.
ticle OF usefulness, the railroad that
transported II and the dealer who
sold him tho goods. io pays tho
wages Of labor and capital employed
In tho transaction as well as pays
for tho tools. machinery. buildings.
ETC.. used In the construction OF the
commodity and the same applies to
oil 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 10 around
$4,000. 600. 900. and II Ia safe TO esti-
mate that 95 cents on every dollar
goes to meeting the expenses OF sub.
sidiary Industries. The farmer does
not work more than thirty minutes
per day for himself; the remaining
thirteen hours OF the days toll he
devotes TO meeting the payroll OF the
hired hands OF agriculture. such az
the manufacturer. railroad. CONNER.
cial and other servants.
The Farmers Payroll and How Hs
Meets H.
The annual payroll of agriculture
approximates Si2.000.000.000. A por-
tion OF the amount Is shifted to for.
eign countries In exports. but the
total payroll OF Industries working for
the farmer divides substantially as
follows: Railroads. sl.252. 900. 900;
s4.365. 900. 900; mining,
$685.. 100000; banks. 100000, 600;
mercantile $500. 100000. and heavy
miscellaneous payroll constitutes the
remainder.
II takes the corn crop. the most
valuable In agriculture, which sold
last year for $l.692. .O00. 900. to pay on
the employees Of the railroads; the
money derived from our annual sales
Of livestock OF approximately $4,000.
o00. .OGo. the yearly cotton crop valued
at s920.e9Q. 900; the wheat crop.
which Is worth s6i0. .o00. 900. and the
oat crop. that is worth Sac. .000. 900.
are required to meet the annual pay
roll Of the manufacturers. The
money derived from the remaining
staple crops is used In meeting the
payroll OF the bankers. merchants,
,tc. After these obligations are paid.
he farmer has only few lunches of
vegetables. some fruit and poultry
which he can sell and call the pro-
leeds his own.
When the farmer pays on his help
he has very little left and to meet
hese tremendous payrplls he has
been forced to mortgage homes. work
women In the field and increase the
hours of his labor. We are. there
ore. compelled 10 call upon all In
lustries dependent upon the farmers !
or subsistence to retrench In their
and to cut on all un-
necessary expenses. This course is
bsolutely necessary in order to avoid
reduction in wages, and We want,
/ possible. TO retain the present wage
Gale paid railroad and all other in.
ustrial employees.
We will devote this article to q
OF unnecessary expenses
nd whether required by law or per-
litted by the managements OF the
oneerns. is wholly immaterial We
iant all waste labor and extrava.
ance. OF whatever character. cut out. !