The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-05-06

Frank Morrison, Secretary of the
| American Federation of Labor in
straight forward talk to the con-
ference re-asserted labor's bill of
rights including that of organiza-
ton and collective bargaining and
of collective withholding or dispos-
ing their patronage. He asserted
that labor has the right to unite
for it's common protection and to
secure fair and American stand
ard of living. A feature of his adj
dress was a series of questions from
the audience which brought out the
statement from the alert secretary
of the American Federation of La
Dor that no business or manufac-
turing concern which is not able to
pay fair living wage could be re-
garded as a solvent and going con-
Germ, as labor should have the first
lien upon the products of industry.
The Farmers Plight and Their In
terest in the Leagues Program
Grant H. Slocum, president of the
National Cleaner Federation speak
ing on THE Present Plight of the
Farmer" said, "The one item of
added freight costs has taken every
penny received on farm products as
measured by pre-war prices" and
although storehouses on farms in
the middle west are overlooking
there has been virtually no move
ment of farm products through
Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin be-
cause there has been lack of de-
mand. Mr.. Slocum predicted the
farmers will be bankrupt very short
ly unless something is done to re-
lieve the burden of freight rates.
Declaring the Department of Agri-
culture has given both money and
talent to the development of the
scientific side of agriculture, and
has done much in this connection,
he asserts, that if the scientific
side of agriculture were wholly neg
lected for a decade and the whole
attention of the department given
to the new one great problem of
distribution the farmers would not
only benefit, but the consumers
would receive direct benefits through
the elimination of our present anti
quated system of distribution of
farm products"
George p Hampton, managing
director of the Farmers National
Council, discussing THE Farmer
and the Peoples Reconstruction
League Program" said that the
Peoples Reconstruction League is
the logical development of the move
ment initiated by the progressive
state oranges in 1907, and formally
organized in 1910 to secure econ
omic justice for farmers. He stress
ed the growth of this movement
from the beginning to the organiza-
ton of the Farmers National Coun-
Gil in January 1919, and pointed
out that the main planks in the
program of the Farmers National
Council form the program of the
Peoples Reconstruction League. The
farmers, he asserted, are determined
to end special privilege and mon
opoly in this country, and their
motto is we will stick and we will
win" They recognize that they
have the same interests as workers
in the cities, mines, transportation,
trade, commerce and offices, in de-
feating the efforts of the reaction
airy interests to perpetuate the right
of privilege.
Mr.. R. w. II. Stone, president
of the North Carolina Farmers
Union told how in January of this
year that farmers organization got
400 farmers to come to the state
capital, Raleigh, when the legisla-
ture was in session to secure an
amendment to an unjust valuation
act which placed a very heavy tax
burden unpon the farmers, and let
the wealthy off too easy. 1t was