The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1918-01-24

NAL times through gambling in
stocks and bonds and through excess
sive freight and passenger rates.
And when we realize that any in
dividual or corporation purposely ne
elects his civil duties just to be re-
vengeful we repeat where are the
loyal ones?
And again let US turn our attention
to the coal operators: When the gov
eminent attempted to fix the price Of
coal at the mines, Immediately organ
lied labor demanded an increase in
wages, which the operators and mine
owners refused to give unless the ex-
ira cost was added to the selling
price; in some places the miners quit
work and organized labor threatened
to tie up large part of the coal bus
mess Of the country unless the in
| crease in wages was granted.
The government finally allowed the
increased cost to be added to the SELL
ing price and the consumer pays the
! bill
And now comes the Ignite Coal
Operators Association, protesting
against the Fuel Administrators re-
duction in the price of their product,
claiming they will have to operate
their mines at loss if they must ac-
cept the reduced price. They also
say, rather than operate their mines
at a loss they would prefer to turn
them over to the go ,ernment for the
period of the war, or for at least one
year, for any equitable compensation
to be determined by Mr.. Garfield.
Now that argument is all we'll and
good, but when they 60 so far as to
say they will shut down their mines
unless their desires are gratified, then
they have stepped over their rights
and privileges as individuals. 1t is
not altogether what we would like,
but it is what we are required to ac-
cept, and the way we perform our
part of the task imposed is what
makes for or against our patriotism.
AS farmers, we have been advised,
directed, implored, ordered, exhorted,
abused, reprimanded, and damned for
have not done; but through it all we
have been good Americans and done
what we have been told to do. Our
sons have enlisted in the army and
navy, our wives and daughters in the
food conservation army, and in the
garden army and are knitting for the
Red Cross. Our farm help who knew
how to assist US has been taken from
US, and more will be taken; we have
paid higher taxes; we have worked
overtime to produce bigger crops,
we are helping the Y. M. C. A. and
have subscribed for Liberty Bonds.
Through it all we are smilingly and
in the main cheerfully working and
giving of our best chat the world
may be made safe for democracy and
a fit place to live in"
| When the government called on the
farmers last spring to produce more
they Immediately responded by every
member of the family putting forth
an extra effort and working longer
hours, with the result that they have
produced the largest crop ever pro-
duced in the United States.
When the government called on
them to buy Liberty Bonds they again
responded and went over the top.
When the government established the
price Of wheat, and agitated the ques-
tion of fixing the price of hogs and
cattle, thereby depreciating the mar
| hcC anu COMPLETING VIC AdAuleE w SSAA
his hogs he had fattened on So corn
for from So to S. per 100 pounds less
than they had cost him, he was patri-
otto and submitted without protest.
In other lines of business the gov
eminent has guaranteed profit of
tn per cent over and above the cost of
production. Why not give the farm
err the same guarantee? If, as it has
been said, and which we firmly believe
that he is the backbone of the nation,
is it not fair and business like to give
him the same opportunity as is given
to men in other lines of business, and
not ask him, his wife and children to
do so much more for philanthropy
than any other class Of people?
We ask only simple justice and to
that we are entitled. Sometimes the
patriotism of the farmer has been
questioned and unkind things said
about him because he did not endea-
vor to secure the whole issue of the
Liberty Bonds. If he had he would
have been charged with endeavoring
to become a bloated bondholder.
The agricultural people responded
nobly to the call and / firmly believe
that they did as much along that line
as was consistent with their means
and ability to pay, and not one hesi-
tated to invest for lack Of patriotism.
So far as the patriotism is concerned
man who planted an acre of pota-.
toes in the spring of 1917 more than
necessary for family use and solely in
response to the call Of our President
to aid in increasing the food supply
of the country, is more of patriot
in my humble Judgment than a man
who purchased Liberty Bond that
the farmer could not possibly do. My
reaon for saying this is clear. The
man who planted the potatoes at
| orroat axnenso tn0k all the chanceS Of