The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1924-10-24


ing bro;hcrhoods are able to give
the third ticket will carry no states
and get nowhere without the farmer
vote The chance OF throwing the
election into Congress depends upon
the farmer vote. and the hopes OF the
management center upon the farmers
in the Middle West and on the Pacific
Coast. who have been suffering from
low prices for their products and
high prices for The goods and serv-
ices they have to buy. The third
party politicians. the Debs socialists.
the Federation and the Brotherhoods
are all counting on the farmer for
the fruiiion OF their plans, and il is
pertinent to ask what their plans will
do for or to the farmer?
The farmer is an independent OPP
orator and proprietor. like other busi
ness men. He either owns or hires
land. provides farming equipment,
advances his own labor. hires the la
Dor OF others, buys the necessary
supplies. and produces for the mar
kei, taking all the risks in which such
operations are involved The losses
which he has suffered since 1920 are
the same kind OF losses suffered by
business men in other lines. Every
class OF business suffered along with
the farmer. and for the same reason.
to-wii, because OF the general dis
organization OF business and fall OF
prices. while il was impossible to re-
duce the costs OF doing business to
correspond.
The farmers real pay for what n.
has to sell in the last analysis comes
in the goods and scvices which h,
buys, and the amount OF these that
h gets depends upon the relatn
prices OF his products and the prices
cf what he buys.
The Federation Wage Policy
The real explanation of the failure
OF other things to come down from
the war level along with tarm prod
ucts has been the policy OF the Fed
Grafton in systematically fighting
wage reductions The principal item
in the cost OF the goods and scrv-
ices which the farmer mus buy is
labor. and it is the proud boast OF :
the Federation OF Labor that where
It has been in control there have hccn
very few wage reductions. 1t per |
miis industries to shut down, wages "
TO cease and production to cease, but t
its fiat has been that wages must not
come down a
We are not questioning that this
policy is adopted in the sincere belief a
that the labor organizations are JUS I
tilted in promoting the interests OF II
their members without regard to the s.
effect OF their policies upon anybody II
else and that it actually does promise q
their interests Both OF these propo- e,
sitions, however. in then ''-s are D,
open to question ,e
a report OF the United Sta Blu tn
eau OF Labor bulletin No $50 lpr
shows as the result OF an inquiry into &C
he wages OF organized trades having \
membership OF about 100000. ;hai ia
m the average in these trades the
Iourly wage rate on May Is. 1928.
vas higher than in any previous year 49,
eing per cent higher than May Is. G.
OBJ, and Ill per cent higher thar -
a 1913. This shows that these :
ages have been pushed higher ever 49,
these recent year OF agricu' uri
epression, and the effect has been to 10,
lcrease the disparity between farm -.
roducts and what the farmer mrs, ~
ny. pc
Referring to some OF the particular tor
dustrics OF whose products the farm do
opulation are consumers. we find I'm,
lat hourly wage rates in the woolee, y;l
I'd worsted goods industry are now :
y per cent higher than in pre-war low
'ars These figures appear on page m,
OF the Monthly Labor Review. do,
eptember, 1924. published by the tb.
nreau OF LABOR. Washington, h. C.. so
i'd are the result OF an evamina- lou
IN OF the books OF y mills. located ,,e
states, having 4l.622 employees. ind
ne data for present wages was Oh ma;
med from the pay-rolls. covering 40,
c period from January LIST to Nay nd
1924. e
we ma on page II OF the Labor low
view Tor June 1874, the results OF thei
inquiry into wages in the cotton T
'th industry which shows that in i,h,
20 average hourly wages are Isl sne,
: cent higher than in 1913. but ap- s,o
q per cen; lower than n,
1923. The data upon which these yer
ures are based were taken iron, chic
records OF ia mills in II states Eo,
! covered 77.oos ccmploves. b.