Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-10-27
StOCkbrldge Speaks Of HunIIIa-
tIOn Of Whole People Being
Held at Me. CT Of Few.
GIVES HIS ANNUAL ADDRESS
Opening Session of National
Congress Listens to Address
OF Welcome by Mayor Bell.

H. E. Stockridge of Atlanta, Ga,
president of the Farmers National
Congress speaking at the opening Of
the thirty-sixth annual convention Of
that body at the Claypool hotel, in
Indianapolis, declared in favor of the
arbitration of industrial disputes and
said in effect that the Adamson wage
law, passed by congress to avert the
threatened railroad strike, could not
apply to the farmers of this country.
In connection with the Adamson
law he spoke of the "humiliating
spectacle of whole people being held
at the mercy of few"
Mr.. Stockbridge touched on the sub
jects of prosperity in the farming in
dustry, preparedness, conditions of la
Dor in general and the Mexican situa-
ton.
81 believe that there is no industrial
or commercial disagreement" he said,
(which may not be equitably settled
by arbitration. I believe that pro-
visions for enforced arbitration should
be made for such disputes as can not
be adjudicated by mutual agreement.
I urge this body to memorable the
federal congress to enact laws toward
this end, with provision for eliminat-
ing the Objectionable delays allowed
under the similar law of Canada"
Farmers and LabOring Men.
"The working farmer-and every
real farmer works with either head or
individually sympathizes with ev-
cry other working man." said Mr..
Stockbridge, in his address, speaking
Of the passage by congress of the
Adamson wage law. Efforts to es-
tablish identity of interest between
the farmer and the industrial worker,
however, are contrary to nature and
in conflict with the immutable laws Of
economics.
81 insist that economically the farm
er is not laboring man, and believe
that this congress should take cog
nizance of this incontestable fact The
reasons should be patent. Every
farmer is to a greater or less degree
an employer of labor. There newt
ably comes a point at which the in
terests Of employer and employed
diverge, for the same reason that the
interests of buyer and seller are in
conflict.
Broadly and boldly speaking, the
. interest of the farmer demands long
hours and low wages, while the insist
ent demand of labor is for short hours
and high wages.
Farmers and the Eight-HOur Day.
eve are told that short work day
eight hours-is not an arbitrable
fact, but that the method of securing
5 the same is arbitrable. No one yet,
however, has attempted to apply the
nonarbitrable eight-hour principle to
farm labor. Yet the farmer was the
chief immediate sufferer from the re-
, cent attempt at enforcing this prin-
, ciple in another industry.
,, "It was the farmer who lost the
! train loads Of fruit, vegetables, mel.
ons, dairy products and other perish.
p able freight refused transportation by
= the railroad embargo inforced by tht
recent threat of railway train oper
atives to strike unless certain demands
were complied with. I do not crit
g else public officials for doing what ev
cry private individual so quickly doe
whenever gun is placed at his heaC
namely, throw up the hands. More
: over, the prevention of public suf
v fering and widespread disaster Is
function of government and the dut,
Of its officials.
"What we do insist on is that wit
present emergency relieved, it become
the imperative duty of government t
prevent the possibility of there eve
e again being in this ca1-----~.T repeti