The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-06-30
Defines, in Interview With
Forum Today, Purpose of
Proposed Agreement
MEN ARE NEEDED
TO HANDLE CROP
Have Signified Willingness
to Make and Stick by
Agreement, He Says

"A. u. IOWul6yS QTSSluSuI Oh LuC
Farmers Nonpartisan Political league,
spending the day in Fargo on league
business, this afternoon discussed
with a representative OF The Forum
the movement that has been placed
under way by the farmers of the
state, represented by the league, to
reach a working agreement with re-
spect to the hours of labor, the wages,
working conditions, ETC., that shall be
maintained in the harvest fields Of
North Dakota this year.
IF success attends the movement" |"
said Mr.. Townley, 1T will mean big
things for the farmers of the north
west, insuring the handling Of their
grain crops without the strife and
diScontent that has been manifest
among workers in the past few years. .
Trouble In Past Defined.
That the great difficulty in the past
has been the absence of working
agreements between the farmers and
the workers, whereby workmen could
be advised where they are wanted and
could be assured Of uniform and sat
isfactory wages, is Mr.. Townley's
view of the troubles that have been
encountered, and with the committee
representing the Agricultural Workers
organization assuring the farmers Of
their willingness to get together on a
proper and satisfactory basis to all
concerned, the Nonpartisan president
feels that the outlook so far as it re-
lates to the labor supply Of this state
this fall, Is greatly improved.
Realize Nations Need.
'T want to say that there has been
no agreement made with the Indus
trial Workers of the World, said Mr..
Townley 1--WE are working with the
Agricultural Workers organization.
We made an offer to have an under
standing with these people, and
want to say that this effort was born
in the fact that the farmers Of the
state are going to be up against it for
labor.
Members of this organization have
always harvested North Dakota crops,
but there never has been any system
by which either the members of the
organization, or the farmers Of the
state, were able to get together. The
question Of getting the men and the
jobs together Is of prime Importance.
There has been no method by which
the labor needs have been made
known, nor has there been any method
by which the workers have been as-I
signed or distributed &
Much Energy 10 Lost.
~sHalf the energy OF the farmers and
laboring men has been wasted in get
ting together, and in differences over
wages.
These are times when the coun-
try needs the active support Of all
s-members of commercial clubs,
farmers, harvest workers, etc.
I'VE know the calamity that would
come to the northwest IL we didn't
have the labor to harvest this crop.
Part Of this can be done by skilled
workmen, and some by unskilled men.
Unskilled workmen, however, know
nothing of how to handle horses,
bundles. machines. etc.
: No Agreement Without Farmers.
mo agreement has yet been made
with the Agricultural Workers or
ganization, but they have expressed
4 willingness to make an agreement
with respect to hours of work, wages,
etc. They win be practically the same
as have been paid in other years.
This year, at least, in view of the ma
tional crisis, the necessity for the
greatest possible food production, both
farmers and members of the Agricul-
turaI Workers Organization, have
signified a willingness to get together
and harvest this crop.
"This was fully discussed with the
delegates who attended the recent
in Fargo and at the sug-
gestion of these farers, through q
committee named at the convention an
effort has been made to see whether
satisfactory to the farm
ers could be made.
mo arrangement has been made
and none will be except by consent
of the farmers who viii gather in
four meetings next month to discuss
the subject
Mr.. Townley deplored the action
that tended to hinder the completion
81 the agreement, declaring that GER
tain agencies in the state have been
engaged in an effort to head off the
proposed agreement.
Talk of selling out the Nonpartisan
league to the J. w. W's" was branded
oy Townley as absolutely without
in fact, the league presi-
aent insisting that the agreement
proposed is one that will mean the
successful handling of this seasons
crop, and the doing away with condi-
lions that have prevailed in previous
years.