Montana labor news., 1933-01-12
CORRESPONDENCE
American Wage Farmers Protective
Conference

January 2, 1888.
Dear Sir and Brother:
Organized labor has demanded re-
stricted immigration legislation be-
cause it realized the necessity of pro-
tecting Americas wage EN-
ployed in our mills, factories, mines,
building trades, transportation lines,
etc, against foreign labor.
With nearly twelve million of I'M
employed in our own land it is i'm
perative that the greatest possible
restriction be placed on further i'm
migration.
Since organized labor has found
restricted immigration imperative for
its own safety and security it is
equally imperative that Americas
wage earners be protected in their en-
ployment opportunities by the pur-
chase Of products made and manufac-
tured by Americas workers. Few
have stopped to realize that with more
than twelve million of Americas
workers totally unemployed, and with
possibly as many more working but
half time, that the weekly wage loss
amounts to more than four hundred
millions of dollars.
Merely to keep foreign workers
from u shores and then to purchase
goods made by workers in foreign
lands is to defeat the very purpose
of restricted immigration legislation.
Increasing interest is being aroused
in America among all our people, to
the necessity of safeguarding Ameri-
can markets to the products of the
workers in America. 1t is becoming
more evident each day that if u
millions of unemployed workers are
to secure employment we must con-
fine our markets in the United States
to the purchase of only such articles
and commodities as are made in Amer
lea by Americas wage earners.
Enclosed you will find an interest
ing and constructive article on this
subject. It is our sincere hope that
you will not only read this article but
volunteer to send copies Of it to each
and every one of your local unions
for their consideration. We will not
gress. Edward F. McGrady, A. F. of
L. legislative agent, went with the
spokesman Of the big farm organiza-
tions and the Joint Committee on I'm
employment, Jan. A, to see Chairman
Collier Of the House Ways and Means
Committee. They asked Collier to
suggest to President-elect Roosevelt,
in his New York conference next day,
the imperative need for drastic in
creases in the income tax rates in the
higher brackets of income, and like
increases in the tax rates on big in
heritances. Labor and farmer Off
Gals joined in a demand that taxa
ton Of incomes and estates be put up
to the rates paid in Great Britain by
the well-to-do.
Labor was pleased that the farmers
spokesman saw the need for common
action on this point for the farmers
concern with the farm allotment
scheme which would throw another
heavy burden on the shoulders of the
consumers of foodstuffs had begun to
make the labor men suspect that the
farmers, once more, were being led
into an attack on their fellow-workers
Of the towns. 1t soon developed, dur
ing a discussion among farm repre-
sentatives, that they saw that the
money with which farm prosperity is
to be provided must come from pock-
less thin than those of the wage
workers who still cling to their jobs
by accepting cuts in their pay. So it
was agreed that labor and farmers
should urge Roosevelt to call for a
revenue bill that would put the burden
of taxation on the stronger backs.
Nor was the legislative program
the only part of the field of govern
ment into which organized labor
seemed likely to march, when the
Hoover regime should be kicked into
the garbage-cart of costly experience.
1t seemed likely that the Federation
would ask for representation on i'm
p%ortant federal boards, such as the
Reconstruction Finance Corporation,
or any new commission set up to han
hunger relief and to create jobs.
Whether or not the new cabinet should
include a labor spokesman such as
j. Tobin was not certain, but
that organized labor would be strong
Iy represented in the general setup