The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-10-17


Apple Crop. Taken s5o,oOo,0o0 VI the
Potato Crop, and Those Items Are
Only . Drop In the Bucket.
BY FRA NIX @. ODELL.
Editor yVebraSka Farm 1asG=,ns.
The farmers Of America recently
faced a crisis, from which they were
delivered by prompt action by the
President OF the United States p tina
threat of nation-wide railway strike
The railway managers and the repre-
sentatiyes OF the 100000 employed In
train service we're deadlocked over
hours of labor and wage schedules
President Wilson volunteered to act as
mediator, but had no power t. force
arbitration. An impasse was reached
The Brotherhoods issued a strike or
der effective on Labor Day, Sept. :.
The railroad homogeneous showed tLat
they recognized the imminence ot tie
strike. Embargo orders were issued
on freight shipments. Supplies and
strike breakers were modified The
country waited, breathless. for the
storm TO break. II was apparent that
neither side was bluffing.
The President saw a national ,sian.
ity impending lie called leaders Of
his party into conference with BIN.
and with them wrote the bill present
ed to congress with the special mes
sage Of the President next day.
Neither the railroads nor the railway
Brotherhoo6s were consulted. Neither
side knew, what the bill contained,
neither made any demand o. had the
slightest influence in the framing o.
the bill.
That portion of the bill providing an
eight-hOur day for employees engaged
in the operation of trains became a
law. It was accepted by the Brother
hoods, the strike order was Cancelled
and the calamity was averted
No class stood to lose so much from
Tho strike as the farmer. A single week
Of inactivity in freight end express
ssrviee would have paralyzed his mar
tet for month or more. Coming at
the time Of marketing Of perishabIe
products, his loss from this source alone
would have run into millions.
Staggering Losses Averted.
1t is estimated by the railroad man.
agement that the increase in wages
because of the eight-hour day will
amount to from S50,0O0,OO0 to 500. o.OO0,-
| 600 year Allowing their highest fig
ure, $780, 600, the farmers of ths
United States would have lost mors
than this in thirty days had there not
been a man in the White House big
enough to protect the interest Of the
whole people.
i Five cents a bushel on wheat Is easy
picking for the pit gamblers when they
can play the market at their own
sweet will. 1t would have meant fifty
million dollars loss to the farmers on
the billion bushel crop.
James K. Armsby, one of the largest
shippers OF fruit in California. a Re
publican, recently said that if the
strike had taken place 1t would have
bankrupted many of the fruit growers
of that State. He said 4 would havs
caused q loss of not less than $2o,0oo,-
600 to the fruit industry Of caIifornis
alone. This amount is probably much
too low.
The peach crop now going to market
with n vaiWe Of about $55,000,000
wossld have been practically a tota
ioss. The $2oo, 1000, 900 apple crop wouIe
have been shrunk by half in value
The potato crop, of a value of about
$4,000, 900, would have involved fur
: thor loss Of at least s50,ooo,ooo The
cabbage farmer of Northern Ohio, the
grower OF tomatoes for the cannery
and the celery grower of Michigan and
Florida would have kept mournful
company. Melons from Colorado. Cali
fornia. Arizona and Delaware, grapes
from western New York and from Va
kima and Wenatchee, prunes, pickles
poultry, butter and eggs should have
gone down In the common cataclysm.
What would a strike have meant tc
the live stock market of the farmers
And what would it have meant to the
consumer, with the cold storage facili
ties in control of the packers combinei
Would Have Paralyzed Industry.
The direct and immediate loss which
the farmer would have sustained in
case of a strike is but one phase of the
l danger which threatened his interests
The depressing influence upon market
prices, resulting from the inability OF
: consumers to buy because of lack OF
employment. would have been felt in
every item of this years farm prod
ucts. Take this single instance; This
telegram. sent to President Wilson OF
September I'd by Henry Ford, the
;. worlds greatest automobile manufac
:. turer:
The Prcsideut-The moment it is
positively known that a strike win
become effective on the railroads,
i the Ford Motor Company will OF
oh, 30