Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1920-11-17
FARMERS MAY FIX PRICE
OF ALL FARM PRODUCTS
is Last Call for Receiving the
Same Pay for Same Hours
Work as Others

The establishment of nationwide
selling organizations which shall fix
the price of farm products if the
farmer does not receive "the same
pay for the same hours work that
others receive" was predicted by
Sherman j. Lowell of Fredonia. N. Y.
Mr.. Lowell, who is master of the ma
tlonai grange, patrons of husbandry,
was speaking at the opening session
of the oranges annual convention at
Boston.
I'VE are willing to have a fair UNI
derstanding of values" Mr.. Lowell
said, 1.-The farmers receiving the same
pay for the same hours work that
others receive, no more, no less, but
we feel that this is the last call. liz
no attention is paid to this now by
bankers, manufacturers, railroads and
labor organizations and if the govern
nient continues to use its great power
to import raw material free of duty
TO reduce costs, then the grange will
lie the first to help organize nation
wide selling organizations which shall
fix the price of farm products.
There Is no threat in this; we will
have been driven to it in self-defense
to preserve our agriculture.
all. We desire no class regulations
or class divisions: we desire to labor
for humanity and to be able to keep
the earth fertile, always bringing
forth its harvest sufficient to feed the
increasing millinos of our people. 1t
is no small task, however, and it can
only be safely done by a proper ap-
probation of this task by our urban
population"
Mr.. Lowell "rejoiced that labor was
able to secure a much higher rate of
wage, but little expected that they
would turn and demand cheaper food
from US without first ascertaining
the cost of production, and thereby
| proving whether or not we were TAX
ing too large margin of profits"
The national master declared that
the great changes that have taken
place since the beginning of the war
have been ito the disadvantage of ag-
riculture and many laws and rulings
OF our national government have
proven of injury to u.s."
| We have searched faithfully to
ind one law or ruling to our advanta-
ge and failed to find it. We have
urged for a fair show, but all our eff
forts have met with a like fate"
| Mr.. Lowell said the recent census
showed a net increase of 100000
| farms In seven states-New York
Philadelphia, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan and West Virginia-and
charged that '3the attitude of the men
in legislative halls and departments
of government is responsible to large
degree for this condition. So long as
we remain passive this state of affair
will continue"
| Concerning taxation. Mr. Lowell
said, "there is but one equitable form
of taxation and that it is when every
form of whealth pays its just pro-
portion of taxes. There is no tax
more just than an income tax for it
IS never charge against anyone who
! has not the means to pay"
He spoke against the single tax and
the idea of placing government land
tax of one per cent on the land in
| place of taxing large incomes Both,
he said, would be disastrous to agricul-
| ture"
/ "Another equally erroneous idea,' -
he said, zone of heavy tax on all
unimoroved land holdings, for if this
was done and they were forced on the
| market by reason of such a tax
| (which is the intent,) it would cause
the depreciation of farm lands so per
cent from the fact that there is more
! improved land than men to work it
/ now"