Grants Pass daily courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1919-1931, 1919-09-10
NEW YORK STATE GRANGE RAPs
DINNER BUCKET BRIGADEs
IN THE CITIES
MOST FARMS ARE MORTGAGED
Farmers Labor Long Hours at In
adequate Pay In Order That Others
Might Live In Ease

Albany, n. Y, Sept 10.--officials
Of the New York State Grange. rep
resenting 125.O00 farmers, in a
statement issued here today placing
responsibility for the high cost Of
living upon labor, declared that ian
economic adjustment must be made
IL the world is TO be fed and agricul-
ture preserved" The Indictment OF
all workers except those engaged in
agricultural pursuits Is made by
Sherman ]. lowell and W. N. Giles,
master and secretary, respectively OF
the grange, who allege that strikes
have been an important factor In
raising the price OF food, clothing
and shelter.
The first factor in happy life
is three meals every day" says the
statement. '"The next is adequate
clothing and housing to keep the
body warm. The war has only has
tened what every thinking agricul-
turist has seen for years was surely
coming. Rural workers have not
received the support and encourage
ment which the urban workers so
easily obtained in the form of bet
ter schools, roads, churches, houses.
shorter hours and higher wages for
work under more favorable condi-
tions. This had the result OF stead
lily drawing from the country its pop
ulation to an alarming degree. Now.
instead OF going into a study of our
situation and developing a remedy.
our laboring brothers. of the city
purpose to remedy our trouble by
arbitrary measures without any real
knowledge of the cost of producing
the necessities of life.
mo class OF Americans with red
blood in their veins will stand being
told they must labor long hours at
inadequate pay in order that another
class may have shorter hours and
higher wages. Even the faithful
farmer, who has always produced
sufficient food for all, feels he has
about reached the limit, and that no
laboring man of the city should find
fault If he applies the same rule that
his city brother has taught him
"Why is 1t that over half our
farms have mortgages on them. and
that two-thirds are worked by rent
ers? When a class of men demand
a higher wage although their labor
does not earn it. some one else must
pay, and they become dishonest pro-
, fiteers.
eve here challenge the city la
, borer to a cost accounting that all
, the world may see who earns his
wage. Let there be an authoritative
; cost accounting Of farm products
I and wage scale for labor the base
: OF which shall be its earning power
3 when wheat was 81 a bushel.
? one bushel paid for days work.
: Wheat, by government fiat, is now
: s2.26 bushel, and it now requires
Z from two to three bushels to pay Ia
: Dor for one days work. Again when
v wool was 80 cents a pound, allowing
four pounds for suit of clothes, the
farmer received for the product
$1.20. Figuring the cost OF a suit
of clothes at $40, thirteen days la.
Dor at $3.50 per day paid for a SUIT
Today wool is 65 cents a pound. foul
pounds bringing $3.50, the amount
j received by the farmer. The same
suit of clothing is now $40 and tn,
laborer can obtain suit by eigh
lie days Of labor at IS per day. Thes'
a comparisons will hold good will
a every farm product"