The Tomahawk., 1920-07-08

| WASHINGTON, D. C.-Pledges of
cooperation were made to farmers in
annual report of the executive council
of the American Federation of Labor
before the convention of American
and Canadian labor delegates, meeting
in Montreal.
A vote by the convention of 29,059
| to 8,349 indorsing government owner
ship of railroads surprised and scared
opponents of government ownership.
During the year just closed" said
the councils report, there was an
| increasingly harmonious relation with
! organized farmers and an increasing
| understanding of their mutual inter
| est in the great problems confronting
| the nation. There has been keen
realization among both farmers and
wage-earners of the fact that they
| suffer alike from the malpractices of
| the profiteers and gamblers, and from
Embellishments of the machinery by
which necessities Of life are distrib-
| uted They also have a growing ap-
| probation of the fact that farmers, no
less than wage earners, suffer from the
| incompetence of political representa-
| tives, and from the unwillingness of
| those representatives to carry out in
their work the wishes of the great
masses of the people. During the
year representatives of organized far
mers have participated with the rep
resentatives of organized wage-earn-
ers in conferences dealing with some
of the most vital questions of the
year, and with most gratifying re-
suits.
1--WE recommend that instructions
be given the executive council to con-
tinue the development of friendly,
harmonious and cooperative relations
ganized farmers"
An instance of cooperation be-
tween labor and the organized farm
ers' movement is found at another
point in the report-the section deal
ing with the Meat Packing Monop-
oly."
1t recites that Congressman John
M. Baer, elected by the League, in
troduced the bill aimed at this COM
bine, which was drafted by the Amer
lean Federation of Labor.
THE COAL CRISIS
! The coal situation becomes steadi-
~ worse, and the public should real
lie that the coal miners have moth
ing to do with it. The coal miner
can not dig coal, no matter how will
ing he may be to serve the public or
how anxious he may be to provide
bread for his family, unless the en-
ployer says, go down and dig it."
Many thousands of miners through
out the United States are now idle
against their will because this order
has not come from above.
| And another interesting fact about
the matter is that every one of any
prominence in business or politics
knows where the hitch is, but such
is the regard for public welfare at
the present time that gross privilege
has free hand. In March many coal
operators thought that SIS ton at
the mines was too high and counseled
lower prices as being best for the
trade. Some time after the price rose
to 81 and this last week quotations
in the big fields range from $3.50 to
$11 ton.
| Why is it that these prices, which
promise enormous profits, do not pro-
duce the coal? Because, as the poll
ticians in Washington we'll know, the
output of coal is limited by transport
tation facilities and there is deal be-
tween the railroads and large opera
tors who make up the coal trust,
whereby the railroads get their coal
supplies on better terms and in ad-
equate quantities, in return for allow
ing the coal trust to hog the supply
of cars. Many mines, therefore, can
not produce at all, and the big opera
tors who are getting the cars are al
lowing only small quantities to reach
the public to force up the summer and
tall prices.
CANADA MARKETS WHEAT
Reports have been received here
Indicating that the Canadian govern
ment plans to continue its wheat