The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1920-12-09

that their turn should come among the
first, but although the farmer is not a
plutocrat he is a proprietor. an oper-
ator upon his own account, and peo-
pie who have capital enough to be
proprietors. be they large or small
are in better position TO take the brunt
of readjustment than the wage
earners Of the towns II is impossible
20 ask the latter to accept wage re-
auctions until a reduction in living
costs has taken place, and farm pro-
ducts are the leading factor in the
cost of living.
ION the other hand, the price of
farm products having declined. it
becomes matter Of common justice
and also an essential factor in the
maintenance of employment for the
wage earning class that the prices of
what the farmer must buy shall come
down in like proportions Are they
going to do so? This is the critical
question at this time.
Every one is entitled to have his
own opinion of the present industrial
situation A very influential labor
leader has declared that labor must
resist resist and resist to the last
every attempt to reduce wages, and
This is the position which organized
labor is understood to occupy The
idea doubtless is that having won the
advanced position represented by the
present wage level they intend to hold
it at all hazards 1t is. however a mis-
taken idea, for if prices generally are
falling and other people in the indus
trial circle are taking smaller pay for
their services or products the work
ers who refuse to accept any wage re-
iiuctions are really asking for more
pay Instead of being on the defen- q
.ive, trying to hold their own. they p
are attempting to improve their posi- a
ion at the expense of other workers h
Furthermore, they will be attempt d
ng the impossible. They overlook the 2
nterdependence of industry Consd- a
r the relations between manufactured l,
PRODUCTS and farm products. The F
market for farm products is largely "
n the towns and the market for the d
own industries is largely on the n
arms About one-third of the people $
If this country live on the farm. The y
are made by means of 81
money payments, but unless farm +,
PRODUCTS are going to buy about as o.,
many town products in the future as r,
cretofore. it does not require a pro- III
essor of political economy to see that u
here will be a falling off in the con- ~,
of town products and in the hi
emand for labor to make them. And q,
% per cent of the labor so employ o,
~ Siouib liuu llStll waking lut ol
treets because trade had fallen off. "a
viii be up to the labor leader to ex- re
lain the advantages of that situation Oh
yer moderate reduction of wages sl
hich would have kept the farm and or
,ctory in balance, with better living III
,nditions for everybody. Goods are
ot going to be made unless they can
e distributed and distribution can
ot occur except upon a fair basis of
,change for all products Wages
ave been advancing for five years si,
'der the influence of the law of sup Of.
y and demand. which was also ad- ID
incng the prices of farm and other q
oducts 1t will be serious mistake 70
r the labor leaders to think that leo
ey accomplished all this and that toi
ey have control of the situation re- pu
rdless of the law of supply and de- is
and"