Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-12-26

which the Sherman antitrust law places upon
ali organizations that operate in interstate trade
The CLAYTON act, amending the Sherman act
specifically exempted from the operation of
the antitrust law, farmers organizations which
mad no capital and were not operated for profit
But some OF these organizations have All oper-
in interstate commerce The Capper-HerSman
measure will give them this. 1t will be bold
candidate who refuses to indorse this bill.
This board of farm organizations is really
la live political organization. 1t is the rural
equivalent of the American Federation of La
Dor The federation has recognized this fact by
asking the national board to affiliate with it.
The two organizations have been flirting grace
fully with each other for some time. The CUES
ton whether it should affiliate with the labor
organization was referred BY the board to It's
member organizations. They refrained from
acting upon it rather than give labor direct
snub SO the utilization did not come about
But it is emphasized that the atmcSph're be-
tween the two organizations is distinctly
friendly
There are few more significant things in
American political life today than this tenta-
tive effort on the part of labor and the farmers
to get together. For a long time it was never
thought Of The farmer imagined that he was
a capitalist He could not see the identity
of his interests with those of the laborng men,
Now he has begun to see. The board OF farm
organizations has refused to affiliate with the
Federation of Labor because it does not want
as the labor organization has taken, and not be-
cause it does not sympathize with labor.
"Most agraran movements have come to
grief on controversial questions, said an Official
OF the board. 1--WE do not want as yet to eX-
press an opinion on any controversial questions
which do not concern us directly. We are Tor
the Capper-HerSman bill because we need it a
law We oppose the Lane bill, because we did
something to say about the choice OF tine next
secretary of agriculture. We want strong
government control of the packers But we
have no railroad policy, no land policy, no
policy with regard to coal and other natuTa
resources In word, we have no political plat
form Political power is based on economic
power. We are now engaged in federatng our
economic power"
There is vast wisdom in the last two SEN
terces.
The political power will come later. So in
ali probability will the affiliation with organ
7eC labor.
The chief difference between these two great
GROUPS is really in their attitude toward the
land question. Labor is in favor of land law
which will provide for the reclamation OF arid,
cur-over and swamp lands by the government,
the making of these into equipped farms, and
their leasing to individuals or else their SAFE
under provisions which would prevent Specu-
lators from getting hold of them Such law
would give surplus labor an outlet to the land,
and so tend to keep wages up, as In the old
days when good homestead was to be had
for sorg west. 1t would also tend 70 ofa'n
the tcngested portions of the great cities, and
so 10 remove much OF the fostering human
material which makes for unrest and reTolt-
tionaiy propaganda.
But the farmers are afraid of such land
program because they fear it would result ~
over-production and hence lower the price OF
farm products.
There are some among the agricultural lead
5ers who do not agree with this view. TheY
point out that ii the government created farms
il would have to create proper machinery tor
the disposal of their products. AS matter OF
fact ali the land colonization schemes have pro-
vided for marketing systems. In this way, ;hey
claim, colonization would promote the co-opera-
tive movement which is proving to be the
farmers salvation. And there is really no dan
ger whatever of an overproduction OF 1000
plus marketing system designed anc rcn-
lroed by the producer rather than the i1'ddlc-
MN is the Thing needed, theV say.