Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1917-11-28

U101D 10 oolnINE
Gonpaxtisan League 31o0adont Makes
R1ea to American Federation
Of Labor.
Urging the cooperation of organized
with the organized farm
.ional Nonpartisan league. told delegates
to the American Federation of Labor at
Buffalo on Friday of last week. that the
farmers and workers economic interests
were closely tnter-kn1t and that such
utilization would give the biggest pos
sible impetus toward putting field and
factory war products on the market at
lower prices and in greater quantities..
Mr.. Townley addressed the Buffalo
last Friday from the same
platform from which President Wood
row Wilson spoke four days earlier and
he and the President were almost the
only outsiders invited to address the |
American Federation of Labor.
Let the two great classes of produce
ers join behind the government in this
war;" President Townley pleaded. Let
us wipe out the parasitical middleman.
Let us down the profiteer and in a sur
prisingly short time we will find that
our people at home will be better and
more economically fed and that our
forces at the front will be better and
more economically equipped.
HAVE RIGHT TO COMBINE.
I'VE have a right to combine" Presi-
dent Townley added. land we will not
be true to our best interest if we fail
to do SO. The laborers of this country
represent 1913 per cent Of the nations
population and the farmers represent
1872 per cent. Together we form 70.5
per cent of the population of the United
States. Yet the business interests which
live off the worker and the farmer out
vote us in the city councils, the state
legislature and the halls of congress
and we never will get economic justice
or the full product Of our toll until we
combine and make our force felt. Other
wise we never will be able to prevail
against the selfish and sometimes sinis-
ter forces which are bending every en-
ergy to keep the farmers and workers
| apart and thus deprive ourselves and our
families Of our fair share of what we
produce.
FARMERS LOYAL TO NATION.
| President Townley emphasized the 10y
atty to the Nations purposes shown by
the farmers of the Northwest, who
| over-subscribed the Liberty loan quota
by the highest percentage anywhere in
| the country, despite two successive crop
failures and sharp reduction in the
price of their principal product With
| this record and with evidence that the
milling interests are exacting a dollar
a barrel profits for making flour on one
hand and looking out employees who dar-
ed join trade unions on the other, he
said some suspicion of the loyalty OF
certain profiteers might come closer to
the truth.
i When President Townley related the
story Of the formation and growth of the
National Nonpartisan League and in.
stanced extortionate profits of those
against whom it's defenses were raised
he was followed with the closest atten
ton by the delegates. And his story OF
the big potato crop and how Governor
Frazier of North Dakota found potatoes
for which the farmer had been paid Z,
cents a bushel selling for $3.50 bushe
in New York last winter caused Arthur
Heyday, the delegate from Great Brit
ain to express amazement and ask fur
Their particulars of American food prot
iteering. Mr.. Heyday said nothing O.
this kind would be tolerated in England
FARMERS ARE NOT CAPITALISTS
Certain interests have tried to teacl
you city workers that we farmers ar,
capitalists" President Townley contin
ued. LAS matter Of fact census figure!
prove that the average family on Am
erican farms last year earned as yearl!
wages only 1882 above the value O.
the food they consumed. On this mar
gin you can decide for yourself whether
they attended many grand operas Of
spent the winter months at Palm Beach
Twenty-seven billion dollars is an
nually paid for farm crops in this coun
} try. The farmers get nine billions o
this. Who gets the rest? When ",
? inquire as to pork that we sell for t,
10 cents a pound and buy back at from
} rs to IS cents pound we are told tina
you workers in the packing plants lab
sorbed the difference" want to asl
you now: Have you got that money!"
Laughter and shouts of mo" answer
ed him.
Mr.. Townley then asked If the work
ers got the money that disappeare,
when harvesting machines which cos
$25 to produce were sold to the farme
for 1925 and again he was greeted witt
shouts Of mo-
mo. hardly think so either" reptile,
MI. ToWnley. Il think most of thi
money goes to the men who work tn
r worker and farm the farmer and it will
, continue going to them unless we organ
ize to prevent it."
TOWNLEY QUESTIONED AFTER
SPEECH.
Mr. Townley got an enthusiastic ova
ton and after the conclusion of hi
, speech scores of DELEGATES crowde
about him asking him Questions ahou
the farmers'Emovement. IF you are a.
! much interested in taking care of you
/ surplus as we are in taking care O
l ours, we can get together all right
said one delegate and this sentiment wa
generally approved.
81 Two resolutions, one requesting tn,
!; United States government to take owe
D anu operate the -four milling industr,
i at the earliest possible moment in or
DER that the milling autocracy which
2 for years has exploited the workers O.
the city and the producers of the coun
try, be conducted for the benefit of tn
2 people, and the other asking that tn
labor unions Of North Dakota cooper
= ate with the National Nonpartisa,
League, were introduced after his speech
l The American Federation of Labor b,
E an overwhelming majority also decide,
, to take more direct and active inter
e est In political affairs and to hold it.
T annual convention in June, before polit
ical conventions meet, instead of wait
ing until November, after the elections
are held.
E The address Of President Townlev i
t really epochal In way, for it is tn
] hrst time that the American Federal ito,
E OF Labor, the greatest labor organiza
: ton In the world, has been invited I,
. cooperate with the farmers and thi
E invitation was extended by the head O
the largest farm organization in tn
world.
: RoeELAND.
Roseland-Mr. and Mrs. c. A. Randall
r ana daughter Mildred of Royalton, VIII
= nave recently purchased home at tina
D place. are visiting at the Joseph Felt
E arek home. They made the trip in thei
car.
Mr.. James Cline. who last Tuesda,
traoed Tor a Ford car, had the i'll luc]