Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-08-18
Strikes and the Farmer

y his address at Leesburg, Va, Secretary
l OF Agriculture Wallace stressed the point
that the farmers OF America, who number
one-third Of the country's population. are
getting tired OF being made the goat in
the amending strife carried on between Ia
Dor and capital. In the final analysis. the
major portion OF the cost Of all such strikes
as those that ire now being conducted at
IA national economic loss of tens OF mil
lions OF dollars day is shifted upon the
shoulders of the country's farming popula-
ton Hence, the farmers demand that
these lighting groups cease their struggle
for the mastery and resume production,
trusting to American institutions and the
American sense OF fair play TO that
justice Is done to both of them.
When the period of reimbursement follow
Ing the close Of the war set in. the farmers
were the first to feel the effects of the drastic
processes OF dehation that ensued. Recog
nizing the futilty of trying to maintain war
price levels for their products In peace time
they adjusted themselves TO the changed
situation and took their incident losses
without threatening to starve the country
by slowing down of food production 10 a
point where the consuming public would
be compelled TO crouch before them for
morscl OF food so to speak Price della
ried to such an extreme that they we're
brought to the very verge OF bankruptcy.
But periodically and courageously they
went ahead with their plans for the future,
sowed new crops in hope cultivated them.
and. favored by propitous seasons. have
entered the harvesting of one OF the most
bountiful yields In all the history OF their
efforts
n tria
and all forms Of business undergoing the
processes of dehation, in which they have
TO take their losses, something like IL stable
price level was being approached, in which
The farmers had every assurance of revived
market demand for the products Of their
toll. with resultant fair prices. in which
both producer and consumer would share
The benefits OF returning prosperity But.
insistent upon the advantage gained during
The stress Of war necessity certain highly
organized labor and capital groups havo
declined TO yield any of these advantages,
with the result that strikes have been pre-
cipitated and waged with such uncompro-
missing bitterness that the general trend
toward business recovery has been arrested
and a gradual paralysis Of national indus
trial activity is threatened.
AS Secretary Wallace so cogentiy ex-
presses il. The farmer is sick and tired OF
this sort OF business. lie is Disguised with
these recurring disputes between capital
and labor. especially as connected with
the essential industries He sees no rca-
son why such disputes cannot and should
not be settled in an orderly and lawful
way. and without the Interruptions OF serv-
Ice which cost him so dearly" With the
farmers thus determined that this wasteful
form of industrial warfare. of which they
are the chief victim. shall cease. there is
every reason to believe that out OF their
experience they will bring an influence to
bear upon the lawmaking body to enact
legislation that will compel a settlement
OF all such disputes in future without sus-
pension of the services which the affected
industries undertake to perform As costly
as the present strikes have been. they will
not have been without their compensation
u they result in this determined purpose
hnding expression IN written law.