Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1920-01-30
APPEALS TO FARMERS
TO JOIN THE UNION
County President Doneen Shows Why
Every soil TilIer Should Become
Member of the Farmers
Union

man December %, 1871 y, II was uc-
cided by the large representation Of
farmers present that in order TO pro-
tect our interests it is absolutely
necessary for the farmers to be or
ganized 100 per cent.
Some farmers will ask: Why
should / join the Farmers Union?
What has it ever done for me?'
We desire to call your attention TO
the following facts which can not be
denied or refuted
In 1917 the government fixed the
price Of wheat at Chicago at $2.2o
per bnshel There was no market
established on the Pacific coast-but
the Farmers Union sent q committee
to Washington and succeeded in hav-
ing a fair price fixed on the Pacific
coast which gave the farmers a net
raise Of five cents per bushel on
wheat prices.
In 1913 the Farmers Union sent
another committee to Washington.
The Grain Corporation refused to
give them any relief but the COM
mittee succeeded in getting the ship
ping board to reduce the freight rate
on wheat Is cents per bushel from
/ Pacific Coast points to New York, via
the Panama canal This gave the
farmers another net increase OF 10
cents per bushel on all wheat raised
on the Pacific Coast
Thus 90 cents per bushel, extra,
was gained for the farmers by the
Farmers Union for all wheat raisers
in 1918 and 1919.
Now, Mr.. Farmer, multiply the
number of bushels of wheat raised
in 1918 and 1919 by 90 cents and
you will have the amount you have
received through the efforts of the
Farmers Union. 1t will amount to
about 1920 per year on each 100
acres of wheat
Mr.. Farmer, does not an organiza-
ton from which you derive such
benefit deserve your support?
Acting as individuals we can have
no influence on legislation, but when
we act as an organization we can ex-
ert the influence we are entitled to.
owing to our numbers and the i'm
portance of agriculture, which is sec
. ond to no other business in regard
to the numbers employed and the
, capital invested.
The increase in the price of wheat
is only one of the many things
whereby the farmers have benefited
by the farm organizations. These
organizations are responsible for the
repeal of the daylight saving law and
it must be remembered that this law
was repealed in direct opposition 90
! organized labor, which endeavored to
have the law remain in effect.
We farmers boast of our indie
J pendence. But a short time ago the
wheels of industry Of this nation were
tied up by few coal miners. repre-
senting less than one-half of one per
cent of the population of the coun-
try, and they told us we could freeze
and starve unless we submitted 60
their unjust demands
When the government invoked the
law to suppress these striking coal
miners, Samuel Gompers, president
OF the American Federation of La
Dor, issued an appeal to the people,
denouncing the government and ask
ing support for the strikers. This
shows the Americansm of Gompers
and his tribe.
The railroad brotherhoods have
threatened to tie up the whole rail
road system by striking if congress
, included the anti-strike clause in the
Cummings bill-and Mr. Gompers
said before a congressional commit
tee they would not obey the law if it
were passed.
Where is our boosted independ-
ence and our democratic form of gov
eminent if three per cent of the peo-
pie of the country, represented by
organized labor, can dictate to con-
gress the laws it can or can not pass?
The farmers organizations have
done more to stabilize conditions in
this country than all other govern
ment agencies combined. When Mr..
J Gompers awoke to the knowledge
! that organized labor had lost the sup
port of public opinion, owing to the
} unreasonable demands of labor. he
resorted to his old ruse of calling in
the farm organizations TO bolster up
; his cause
: But the farmers had not forgotten
the stand the representatives of la.