Southwest Washington labor press. [volume] (Hoquiam, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1923-05-04
COUNCIL
BIAMES ECONOMIC
SYSTEM FOR ILLS
Low Wage industrial Labor Offers No
Hops to Farmer ls Admitted.

WASHINGTON, May S.--The farm
ers' hope is not in batting labor but
in ending various systems which rob
him Of his purchasing power, says the
Farmers National Council in a state
ment on its study OF the domestic
under-consumption of farm products.
The council IL composed of represen-
tatives OF various farmers organiza.
tions.
The statement refers to the 1921
report Of the Secretary OF Agriculture
that I'VE produce more foodatuffs than
our population can consume.
To this the council repliesS .gThe
facts are that were there an equitable
distribution of the income OF the Unit
ted States. that Is, Of the wealth pro-
duced, the people would consume
probably so per cent more than the
total volume Of farm products which
We produce today, although there
would have to be, doubtless, a change
In some crops and readjustment to
the changing demands Of the people.
Economic Conditions.
1T is clear that the American peo-
pie are not now consuming anything
like the amount of farm products,
either as food or clothing, that they
need, and they can not consume that
amount without a fairer distribution
Of the national income y gE
TOO much of the national income
today goes to paying tribute to land
Spectators in the form of ground
rent, in royalties, excess profits, divi-
dends and interest
THE farmers hope for improving
his economic condition lies not in
batting labor. but In ending the pres
ent economic, transportation. market
ing, industrial and tax SYSTEMS, which
rob him of his power to purchase
manufactured products. and which
also kill his market right at home in
robbing other workers and wage earn
ers Of incomes which they should
spend for farm products. The need
for full and free home market for
farm products. at fair price to the
farmer, is proven by the fact that in
several Of the northwestern states
about 5 per cent of the farmers have
lost their farms through reduced
prices for their products-in some
states as high as 80 per cent A much
larger additional number will lose
their farms with present prices to
farmers and costs of production dur
ing this year unless bankers extend
unsual credit to them.
Un-American Methods.
Immediately following the war the
great financial interests. which bru-
tally accused the farmers OF being
profiteers during the war and always
robbed them. started out to crush or
ganized labor, and used three methods
to do this. First, they tried to put
across the un-American and anti-un-
ion shop drive, so as to break up la
Dor organizations. They fell down
about 80 per cent on this. Then they
started to break down all legislation
restricting immigration. They failed
100 per cent on this. These financial
interests then decided the best way to
break labor was first to break the
farmers and then finish labor organi-
zatlons through immigration of "a
million OF a million and a half farm
ers from American farms to cities,
mines, trade and transportation.
But the little capitalist farmer,
when he gets to the city or anywhere
off the farm, will find the same inter-
est which so ruthlessly exploited him
as farmer will. with equal vigor.
crush him as a city worker"