Connecticut western news., 1920-11-18
NATIONAL GRANGE MAS
 TER SOUNDS A WARNING
Says Farmers May Be Forced to Form Selling Organi-
 zations

Establishment of nationwide sell ing organizations which shall fix the price of farm products" if the farm CT does not receive "the same pay for the same hours worked that others receive, "was predicted by Sherman J. Lowell of Fredonia, N. Y.,master of the national grange of the patrons of husbandry, in opening the ann ual convention of the grange at Boston. ......
 "We are willing to have fair understanding of values," he said. "tthe farmers receiving the same pay for the same hours work that others receive, no more, no less, but we feel tthat this is the last call. If no at tention is paid to this now by bank CTS, manufacturers, railroads and la- bor organizations, and if the govern ment continues to use its great power to import raw materials free of duty to reduce costs, tthen the grange will be the first to help organize nation wide selling organizations which shall fix the price of farm products.
 "There is no threat in this; we vii have been driven to it in self defense to preserve our agriculture.
 "This condition is repugnant to us all. We desire no class regulations of humanity and to be able to keep the class divisions; we desire to labor for earth fertile, always bringing forth its harvests sufficient to feed the increasing millions of our people. It is no small task, however, and it can only be safely done by a proper urban population"
 MT. Lowell rejoiced that labor has been able to secure a much higher rate of wage, but added: "We little expected that they would turn and demand cheaper food from us with out first ascertaining the cost of pro duction, and thereby proving wheth- CT or margin of profit"
 The national master declared that great changes since the beginning of the war have been to the disadvan- tage of agriculture and many laws and rulings by the government have proven of injury to farmers.
 "We have searched faithfully te find one law or ruling to our advan- tage and failed to find it. We have urged for a fair show but all our efforts have met with a like fate"
 MT. Lowell said the recent census showed a net decrease of 100000 farms in seven states-New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Indi- ana, Michigan and West Virginia and he charged that the attitude of the men in legislative halls and gov ernment departments was responsi- ble to a large degree for this condi- tion.
 Concerning taxation he said:
 "There is but one equitable form of taxation and that is when every form of wealth pays its just propor- tion of taxes. There is no tax more just than an income tax, for it is never a charge against anyone who has not the means to pay"
 He spoke against the single tax and the idea of placing a government land tax of one per cent. on the land in place of taxing large incomes. Both would be disastrous to agricul- ture, he said.
 Another equally erroneous idea," he continued, lis the one of heavy tax on all unimproved 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 50 per cent. from the fact that there is more improved land than men to work it now"