The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1917-09-07

tions ct times, which are abnsemal and
do not balance each other % they should
but a. . general rule supply and do.
mand adjust themseives to each othef.
The only reason why the I. w. w. has
the power to coerce the farmer and the
thresher is because Of the demand for
labor at the time of harvest. The I. w.
w. man does not flourish we'll during i
North Dakota winter.
Hence. anything that will diminish
the demand and increase the supply OF
labor will have the same sort Of effect
on the I. w. w. class as the frosts of
winter.
Evidently. what we need most IN this
direction is more people. Our fields are
too large and our population too sparse.
This is slowly correcting itself. We are
cutting down the size Of the farms. we
are going more and more into the en-
tensive farming of which the primary
need is more people.
Machinery is also doing its bit. Per-
haps the small tractor that is still strong
enough to run small separator will be
the quickest to help solve threshing
pressure. With such machines the
farmers can thresh his own fields, it
necessary without any outside help at
all except his usual farm hands. Ger.
tainly in combination with his ueighbors
they could thresh just as soon as a
whole as they now do with the big out
fits, provided they had sufficient
number of small ones.
As an economic proposition If 1T is
possible for farmers of the state to thresh
their own grain with but little imported
help. then what we are paying that out
side help at this time is a positive loss.
II the farmers can do their own work
and save the wages they are now paying
it is evident that they will be earning
big wages themselves and they will have
the privilege of working as many hours
as they please every harvest day and
get pay for all overtime.
An attachment that will shock the
sheaves from the binder will help eliimi-
nate u lot of man labor.
Tractors that will pull and operate
bigger binders, reliable but small thresh-
ing outfits that will not only thresh,
but can be useu for the greater part of
the rest of the season to plow and other
wise take the places of horses and men
will al help to make the 1. w. w. a
workless organization among the farm
ers OF this valley.
FARMERS SHOULD ORGANIZE.
But part of the power of these dis.
turbers of the peace has come from or
ganization. From floating debris on the
ocean of labor they have gradually been
drawn together by their common in
stincts and desires. They have learned
that in union there is strength.
Now why should not our farmers also
learn the same lesson. Such farmers
union would have two great objects;
one to work together in fixing fair rates
of wages and second to make and carry
out plans for mutual assistance when
the work of the farm Is pressing.
We venture to say, that with the
right spirit of "help our neighbor" and
organized effort, that every bushel Of
grain in this county could be threshed
even with the machines now here by the
resident farmers themselves and their
monthly men, practically as soon as
usual, without the assistance of a single
I. w. w.
Years ago this writer argued against
the big threshers outfit. but was
told that nothing else would do the
work in this country. That big thresh-
ers and big crews were necessary IN this
land Of big fields and big yields. To.
day, it has already been proven that
small machines are q success and far
more economical.
What we need most to fight the I. w.
w. is more machines, more resident
citizens. more specific organization Of
farmers and threshers and
the spirit Of mutual helpfulness.