The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-11-10
FARMERS MAY
FIX PRICES
If They Do Not Get Same
Pay for Same Hours
Work As Others
ASSERTION MADE
BY GRANGE HEAD
---------.-----------
Sherman j. Lowell Declares
Farmers Have Not Re-
ceived "Fair Show"

Boston, Nov 10.--The establishment
of nation wide selling organizations
which shall fix the price of farm prod
ucts' if the farmer does not receive
''the same pay for the same hours
work that Others receive was predict
ed to-day by Sherman J. Lowell OF
Fredonia, n. Y. Mr.. Lowell, who is
master of the national grange, patrons
of husbandry, was speaking at the
opening session of the oranges annual
convention which will continue for 10
days.
"We are willing to have fair under
standing of values" MIR. Lowell said,
''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. Ii no atten
tion is paid to this now by bankers,
manufacturers, railroads and labor or
ganizations and If the government con:
tinues to use its great power to import
raw material free of duty to reduce
costs, then the grange will be the first
to help organize nation wide selling or
EdIiLditpHH WHICH shall ia Inv HtiNt VI
farm products.
There is no threat in this; we will
have been driven TO it in self-defense
to preserve our agriculture.
This condition is repugnant to us
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
millions of our people. IL is no small
task, however. and it can only be safe
ly done by proper appreciation OF
this task by our urban population
Mr. Lowell "reioiced that labor WAS
able to secure much higher rate of
wage, but little expected that they
would turn and demand cheaper food
from us without first asscertaining the
cost of production, and thereby prov
ing whether or not we were taking too
large a margin of profit"
The national master declared that
the great changes that have taken
place since the beginning Of the war
have been "to the disadvantage of ag-
riculture and many laws and rulings
of our national government have prov
en- of injury to US,
"We have searched faithfully to find
one law or ruling to our advantage and
failed to find it. We have urged for
fair show, but all our efforts have met
with a like fate"
Mr.. Lowell said the recent census
showed a net increase of 100000 farms
in seven states New York, Philadel-
phia, Ohio, Illinois. Indiana, Michigan
and VAST Virginia--and charged that
"the attitude of the men in legislative
halls and departments of government
is responsible to large degree for this
condition. So long as we remain pas
sive this state of affairs vii continue.
Concerning taxation, Mr.. Lowell
said, there is but one equitable form
of taxation and that ii is when every
form of wealth pays its Just proportion
of taxes. There is no tax more just
than an income tax for it is never q
charge against anyone who has not the
means 10 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, he said,
would be disastrous TO agriculture.
Another equally erroneous idea,
he said, SIS one of a heavy tax on all
unimproved land holdings, for il this
was done and they were forced on the
market by reason of such a tax (which
is the intent, it would cause the depre
citation Of farm lands so per cent from
the fart that there is more improved
land than men TO work = now