Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1920-07-21
WASHINGTON LETTER

l..
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 a keen
realization among both farmers and
wage-earners of the fact that they
suffer alike from the malpractices of
the profteers and gamblers, and from
Embellishments of the machinery by
which necessities of life are distrib-
uted. They also have 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
with the great bona fide body of or
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."
It recites that Congressman John
M. Baer, elected by the League, in
troduced the bill aimed at this com.
pine, 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 OF
how anxious he may be to provide
bread for his family, unless the EN-
p1oyer 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 abou
the matter is that every one of any
prominence in business or polite.
knows where the hitch is, but suc1
Is the regard for public welfare a.
the present time that gross privilege
has free hand. In March many Goa
operators thought that IS a ton a
the mines was too high and counsele(
lower prices as being best for tn,
trade. Some time after the price ros'
to 81 and this last week quotations
In the big fields range from $3.50 t,
$11 a ton.
Why is it that these prices, which
promise enormous profits, do not pre-
duce the coal? Because, as the pol
dc1ans in Washington we'll know, tn
output of coal is limited by transpo1
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 Goa
supplies on better terms and in at
eQuate quantities. IN return tor ALLOW