The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-03-18
PEOPLES FORUM
UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM
BASIC

Moorhead, MINI.
Editor. Tribune:
Under existing circumstances it ap-
pears from q careful examination of
the facts that the industrial high
protectionists in addition to,imposing
an exorbitantly high and unneces-
sary tribute upon the agricultural
sections of the country for the sup
plies which they are obliged to buy
in the operation of their industry,
through their selfishness and greed
have partially killed the legitimate
market for the farmers products by
the wanton discharge of men on &C
count Of the introduction of machin-
cry. to such q degree that the farm
ers market is seriously injured.
It is the legitimate basis Of the
protectionist theory that by the Inn
position Of a tariff upon manufacture
ed imports sufficient to compensate
the difference between the commodity
and labor cost abroad and that of the
United States, American labor will
be more extensively employed and
thus a more stable market created for
the products Of the country includ-
ing those of the farmer. The manu.
facturers also in the past pledged
themselves in various political cam
paigns that when the differentials
between foreign and American labor
were equalized. they would reduce the
costs of commodities through mass
production, and give the consumer
the benefit.
This they have not only failed to
do. but In addition through the intro
duction Of machinery which did away
with the necessity for labor, they have
reduced the laborer's opportunity and
upon the advices of so-called INDUS
trial specialists" they have created an
arbitrary dead-line at forty-five by
means Of which they not only refuse
employment to men beyond that age,
but in many plants they have arbi-
trartly discharged men who have
reached that age limit. The follow
ing illustration will show the effect Of
this policy on the agricultural indus
try. Every farmer knows that in
recent years he has been told that the
remedy for his condition was not
political redress, but diversification,
in which he vas told to be q good
boy and remain quietly at home and
milk cows In consideration Of which
the eastern politicians would make
everything all right. There was Z
reason for the milking. : There. had
been serious milk strikesrin both New
York City and Chicago and the for
tunes Of the eastern politicians were
very seriously imperiled, consequently
for several years past the advice to
milk cows has been very strongly
blazoned to the farmers on every con.
ceivable occasion.
Recently It has been discovered
that through the obedient milking Of
COWS by the farmers . surplus OF. but
ter has been produced, and now the
farmers T advised as . remedy for
that condition to eat more Of the but
ter which they themselves have pro-
duced to reduce the surplus. Nothing
that I have seen In the eastern pre-
pared propaganda suggests that any
body but the farmers should eat more
butter, nothing has been said about
the business men or the laboring men
eating more butter.
In this connection It IS worthy Of
confederation that q large number
Of those men Of forty-five years OF
age, who are thrown out Of employ
ment were heads Of families, many of
whom Hore well-groWn up and going