Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-12-29

Through the courtesy of Mr.. E. P.
Ames we have received a copy of
the annual address of the Master of
the State Grange. This address is un-
usually interesting at this time as re-
fiectlng the attitude of the Grangers of
the state toward political issues, Gov
ermental policies and State Legisla-
ton; for this reason we are publish
ing herewith extracts from this ad-
dress.
Under the head of "co-operation"
the Master said in part:
AS the Grange increases in men,
bership, it must also increase in eff
cheney of all departments of its
work. This is especially true of the
business side of the Grange. We
should be able to make the trade ar
rangements more satisfactory and
more attractive, as the purchasing
power of the organization increases.
We must turn our attention more in
the direction of cooperative sell
ing than buying. The idea of allow
ing someone else to name the con-
ditions, the grade, the price and the
date of payment for farm produce is
as much out of date or rather,
The farmer does not believe in
strikes unless they are absolutely
unavoidable; we believe. the princi-
pies of arbitration should always be
used in settling difficulties between
sellers and purchasers, whether it be
in the form of capital and labor, OF
in the form Of farm produce and the
organized purchasers thereof. The
farmer has learned that when condi-
tions have become intolerable, in the
absence Of laws compelling arbitra-
ton, strikes are inevitable. The re.
cent milk strikes at Chicago, anc
other points, open up new era fol
agriculture. The organization OF
milk producers associations, the in
PRODUCTION of principles of collective
bargaining, can bring to the dairy
farmer a fair share of the fruits OF
his labor.
We all recognize that there i:
something more important in farm
ing than dollars; yet, unless we car
; make farming more remunerative il
the coming years than we have il
the past, we will fail to hold the
right type of our young manhood anC
womanhood on the farm.
Food Embargo.
One of the most foolish and short
, sie~ ~1ted measures recently proposed
is an embargo on food stuff. Th
farmer is broad-minded and fair
ne will not object at all if the need
of America demand it, provided, a
the same time, the embargo is place.
ON every line of manufacture, especi
! ally munitions of war. The farme
will take his chances along with tn
rest, but it is unfair and En-Ameri
can to deny the farmer markets tha
others enjoy, and yet force him t
buy on market that is simulated b,
orders from abroad. An embarg
bill on food stuffs would defeat tn
very purpose for which it was Great
: ed, by discouraging agricultural pro
duction in the future. The bill is s
: unfair that it has not possibility O
: passing. The farmers demand
+ complete embargo or none at all.
l The High Cost of Living.
We hear much these days abou
| this subject by people who, it woul
| appear to the actual producer, knoy
: less about it than anything else. Th
0 increased cost of food stuffs is bu
: the logical result Of natural cause
S and present day tendencies. Wit
). the exception of those articles at
S fected by cold storage, car short
e age or crop failure, the increase
o cost of food stuffs is no greater, i
e fact, not as great an increase, as ca
7 be noted in manufactured article:
The public seems to forget that tn
s shortening of the hours of labor, tn
demand for larger margins of profit!
Il can have but one result,-that Of d
e verting capital and labor from tn
n farm. Then, again, with an increas
e ed intelligence, the self-respectin
e farmer is refusing to work for a les
= wage or to work longer hours tina
o those in other callings. AS labo
IS shortens the hours of work, and q
manufacturers demand still large
It profits, the farmer has no choice,-
!. he must secure higher prices or G
H. into bankruptcy.
IS The consuming public had just 3
: well adjust itself to the fact thu
re very cheap food supplies have gor
re bv forever There is no use to blan
le the farmer; he is farming about {
y well as he can afford to farm.
( those who do not believe it, we sa
al 'There are millions of acres
g farm land for sale; come out and tt
m for yourself"
!. !. A State Department of Markets
= = Ohio needs Commissioner OF Ma
- kets and Marketing; the departmel
'e could be added either to the work
" the present Department of Agricr
u ture, or created as separate burea
The Commissioner of Markets in Ne
a York has rendered a great service
e both producer and consumer, and '
NJ believe that he could do the same
~ " Ohio.
y " Our Agricultural Activities
= = It must be remembered that t
- ~ frequent interruption of method w
,,n ol work a positive injury to all agricl
S ne tural work. The work of Direct
4n th Thorne and the Ohio Experime
~ Station is a monument to Oh
yet many times during the Ia
decade, the politicians have turn