Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1919-10-31
THE FARMERS SIDE

mitted by the employers group to the
industrial conference at washington.
II was formulated by Chas. s Bar
rett. r. G. Atkeson, and J. n. Title
more, the farmers Representatives in
the conference.
Responding TO the call OF the
President OF the United States that
the industrial conference convene
"for the purpose of reaching, if pos
sible, some common ground of agree
ment and action with regard to the
future conduct of industry "
and for the purpose of enabling us
10 work out, il possible, in a genuine
spirit of cooperation q practical
method of association based upon 2
zeal community OF interests which
will rebound to the welfare Of all our
people the group representing en-
ployers assent to the presentation of
the following fundamental principles
affecting agriculture by which these
purposes may be accomplished, viz:
Statement of Principles Prepared by
Representatives Of Agriculture at
the Industrial Conference
A nations prosperous and progress
siye agriculture, without which de
mocracy must fail and the people 20
hungry. can only be maintained by
political, social and economic justice.
The net return for labor, manage
ment and capital used in farming is
today smaller than the return in any
ether great industry. The increase
In production of agricultural staples
is not keeping pace with the in
crease in population or consumption,
There is a marked relative decline in
proportion of men and capital en-
gagged in agriculture compared with
ether industries and an actual decline
in certain sections. This is what is
meant by declining agriculture"
and is the condition which we face to-
day in this basic and most essential
American industry. This statement
Of fact is standing indictment of
the political. social and economic
treatment now and heretofore ac-
corded agriculture and must not be
permitted to continue. Present con-
aitions will inevitably destroy indie
pendent, self-respecting citizenship
IN the open country. The surest
guarantee of an enduring American
democracy, the bulwark of our ma
ton against false economic and po-
litical doctrines, and the sole bar
rier between the industrial people of
the world and starvation for its least
fortunate, is the free, land owning.
Aome loving citizenship
Farming and farmers must have
the economic, social and political JUS
lice which will make farming as prof
table and as livabIe as any other oc-
euption involving the same amount
of hard work, business ability and
investment, or the balanace between
farm production and urban consume
ton can not be maintained. 1t is un-
fortunate that technical meaning
has arisen to the words capital and
labor which in many minds excludes
agriculture from either class when
from the standpoint of capital the
hpsiness is easily the largest business,
and from the standpoint of labor
there is nc other industry that in
eludes nearly as many laborers with
in its activities Any conclusions
therefore that may be reached in
this conference can scarcely prove to
DC permanent unless they STALL in
elude the welfare of farmers as labor
ers and farm owners as capitalists.
And added to this is the fact that ii
any industry may be defined as basic,
is the one that Independently of
all others is self-sustaining and self
perpetuating; one that was in the
beginning with the birth of civiliza-
zion and without which civilization
must perish. The great bulk of ac-
tuai wealth of the nation springs
from the soil. And the balance of
trade that has made this notion rich
comes from the same source.
Modern Agriculture
Farmers have responded to the
ever increasing demands OF modern
industrial and economic develop
ment. The modern farm is no long
er a self-sustaining unit as in prim-
tive days, but has become A highly
specialized production plant. the op-
Grafton OF which requires technical
sklil and managerial ability with
large investments in modern labor
saving machinery. Six million such
n IL