The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1917-07-19
THE WEAKNESS OF TIL
FARMER.

The helplessnesS of the farmer
to safeguard his own interests IN a
large way was never better illus
trated than at the present time.
When the government wishes 10
buy the steel, to be used in build
ing ships or for any other purpose,
keen-witted representatives of the
various steel concerns meet with
the government representatives
They are prepared to show in
great detail the various items
Of cost which enter into the man
ufaeture of steel, the amount of
capital upon which interest must
be allowed, the cost of labor and
fuel and Of raw material, and,
after allowing for all of these
things, and a decent profit IN adj
dition, the contract is made. And
so it is with guns, ammunition,
clothing for the soldiers, and ev-
erything else which the govern
ment may wish to purchase. The
manufacturers OF all these things
are treated literally; they are
permitted to make handsome prof
It's in addition to a fair rate of in
terest upon the capital invested
Why9 Because they are organ
lied. Because they understand
all Of the details of their business.
Because they choose thoroughly
competent representatives-men
just a little smarter than the men
who act for the government.
The laboring men are organized.
Last year we had a fine illustra-
ton Of their power when the rep
resentatives of 100000 railroad
laboring men-Probably the high.
est paid laboring men in the world
forced the president and con-
gress to enact a law which gave
them a large increase in wages.
And during the last two months
we have had constant evidence
Of the strength of organized labor
in the influence its representa-
tives have exerted at Washington
to secure the enactment of the
food control bin, and to secure
representation on the boards
which viii have the authority to
exempt the drafted men from mill
tary service.
The farmers alone are morgan
lied, and consequently they viii
take whatever the government
and the organized interests see fit
to give them. There is no one to
speak with authority for any con
siderable number Of farmers.
They have no carefully chosen
representatives who understand |
farming in all its phases, and who |
can meet with representatives Of
other interests and say: eve |
represent so many million farm
ers. We can do this; we can do
that. " When the administration
for food control is organized, the
representatives Of the Iaboring
men viii appear before it and ex-
plain how prices Of food must be
reduced if they are to work eff
ficiently, and government repre-
sentatives always hear with def i
erence what the labor representa-
tives wants to say-beeause they
are organized. Well informed
representatives Of the farmers
ought to be present when the pric-
es of grains and meats, and other
farm products, are being consider
ed. They ought to be able to
show the amount Of money the
farmer has invested, and insist ]
that he be allowed a reasonable
rate Of interest on it, just as the /
manufacturer is allowed a reason ,
able rate Of interest on his capital n
investment. They ought to claim /
pay for the fertility that is taken
off with the crop, for that is the
farmers capital, and he can not