Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-10-19
BY II NIX G. ODELE,

BY FRA NIX G. CDELE,
Editor Nebraska Farm Magazine.
The farmers Of America recently
faced a crisis, from which they were
delivered by prompt action by the
President of the United States = the
threat of a nationwide railway strike.
The railway managers and the repre-
sentatives of the 100000 employed i'll
train service were deadlocked over
hours of labor and wage schedules.
President Wilson volunteered to act as
mediator, but had no power t. force
arbitration. An impaSsc was reached.
The Brotherhoods issued a strike or
der effective on Labor Day, Sept. 4.
The railroad arrangements showed that
they recognized the imminence of the
strike. Embargo orders were issued
on freight shipments. Supplies and
strike breakers were modified. The
country waited, GREATNESS, for the
storm to break. 1t was apparent that
neither side was bluffing.
The President saw a national calam-
ity impending. He called leaders Of
his party into conference with him,
and with them wrote the bill present
ed to congress with the special mes
sage of the President next day.
Brotherhoods were consulted. Neither
side knew what the bill contained,
neither made any demand or had the
slightest influence in the framing of
the bill.
That portion of the bill providing an
eight-hour day for employees engaged
in the operation of trains became &
law. 1t was accepted by the Brother
hoods, the strike order was cancelled
II the calamity was averted.
No class stood to lose so much from
the strike as the farmer. A single week
of inactivity in freight end express
service would have paraIyzed his mar
ket for a month or more. Coming at
the time of marketing of perishab!e
products, his loss from this source alone
would have run into millions.
Staggering Losses Averted.
1t is estimated by the railroad man
agement thar the increase in wages
because of the eight-hour day will
amount to from $4,000. 600 to 500, OOo.-
600 a year. Allowing their highest fiu-
ure, $%1oO,Ooo,O0o, the farmers of the
United States would have lost more
III NJ &btc -, &Lin4,, Jo,- LaI Ill.,. 49,
been a man in the White House big
enough to protect the interest of the
whole people.
Five cents Il bushel on wheat is easy
picking for the pit gamblers when they
can play the market at their OWE
sweet will. 1t would have meant fifty
million dollars loss to the farmers on
the billion bushel crop.
James X. Armsby, one of the larges,
shippers of fruit in California, a Re.
publican, recently said that if the
strike had taken place it would have
bankrupted many of the fruit growers
of that State. He said It would have
caused a loss of not less than $2O,OOO.-
600 to the fruit industry of California
otSIICs III v > PToDdDIY muCn
too low.
The peach crop now going to market.
with a value of about $751; 900 900,
would have been practically a total
loss. The 5000, 100000 apple crop would
have been shrunk by half in value.
The potato crop, of a value of about
$220,0oo,ooo, would have involved a fur
ther loss of at least $5o,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 m%ournful
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 TO
the live stock market of the farmer?
And what would it have meant to tho
consumer. with the cold storage facili-
ties in control of the packers combine?
Would Have ParaIyzed Industry.
The direct and immediate loss which
uuo ldlHleF "Oulu nave sustained III
case of a strike is but one phase of the
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 on
September I'd by Henry Ford, the
worlds greatest automobile manufac-
turer:-
The President-The moment it is
positively known that a strike will
become effective on the railroads.
the Ford Motor Company will Of
absolute necessity shut down it's
factory and all Of it's assembly
plants throughout the country, and
every man of its more than 49, O
workers will have to go off the pay
roll.