The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-08-06

Montana. The text of his address fol
lows:
, The Farmer-Labor Association
For the past II years the Farmer
Labor Association, education organiza
ton which usually supports and al
ways tries to influence and contro
the policies and destiny of the Farmer
Labor Party, a political organization
has been trying to organize farmers
workers and small business men into
one organization, having for its pur
pose the improvement of the living
standards of the people composing
these groups.
City Workers and Farmers
Opponents of the Farmer-Labor As
sociation and the Farmer-Labor Party
ridicule the idea of trying to organize
farmers and workers into one organ
| ization, contending that the interests
of these groups are not Identical
that their interests are antagonistic
toward each other. ard that farmers
especially can gain nothing for them
selves out of an alliance with labor
in any kind of an organization.
Workers want cheaper food and
clothing, which means lower prices
for farm products-farmers are told.
Workers want higher wages which the
farmers pay in the form OF higher
prices for the things farmers buy
farmers are told. Therefore. farmers
have nothing to gain By an alliance
with labor. Therefore, farmers are
foolish to get into an organization
with labor-farmers are told by the
opponents of the Farmer-Labor AS
ISOLATION and the Farmer Labor Party
Tonight | want to answer these
arguments of those opposed to the
Farmer Labor Association and the
Farmer-Labor Party and also to chal-
lenge such opponents of the Farmer
Labor Association to name any other
group, except the workers in the fac
tories, mines, ETC., with whom the
economic and political interests of
the farmers are Identical and har
monious.
"There Ought to Be Law"
Since arguments are never 100 per
cent conclusive since arguments |
convince all of those who |
listen and hear, | wish first, that |
had the power to enact law meas |
ure that would force all farmers to |
move to town for six months period
and live on the income received by
most workers in the city; second, this
Jaw should also force all workers in
he city to move to the farm for
similar period of time and live on the
income received by the average farm
sr from the operation of farm.
If l had the power to pass such a
aw | think | could convince the
armers that they do have common
interest with labor, and also | think
could convince the workers in the
,ity that they do have a common in
crest with the farmers in consider
bly, less time than the six months
,eriod for which l would like to have !
his law operate. Most people can only
earn through experience.
However, since | do NOT have the !
ower to pass such a law | still am
orced to use persuasion as my only
leans of trying to get farmers and {
yorkers to see that they have COM
ION interest, and that interests are I
lot antagonistic toward each other {
hof oh for. 4
he solution of their common prob &
ems, and that they can do that only l
trough organization, since they have a
o power as individuals. /
Temporary" Depression and
Surplus" Production
During the past eleven years when
e have been suffering from ITEM ),
orary" depression at least when
lis depression first came in the fall
{ 1929 we were frequently told that v
would be just temporary
lat time we have heard much about f.
lrpluses; we have been told that the ID
Jason for this eleven year old item F
orary" depression was due to the b
ct that we had produced surplus" II
Personally l can not understand f;
by people should suffer when they f;
Ave created a surplus. At such a O
me it seems to me every one should d
, enjoying high standard of living. D
nimals do not suffer when they have 8,
surplus. In all of my experience, q
aveling over several states as part a,
my work, speaking to farmers at II
lblic meetings, l have never yet
en- a COW in pasture with grass n
J to her knees lay down and starve pl
death because there was more than hi
e could eat. al
Neither do | feel, therefore, that nj
ople should suffer when they have W
surplus, and especially not BE- M
AUSE of the surplus. But if any M
eight can be credited at all to this te
gument that we are suffering from tr
depression because we produced in
rplus, then | want to ask you WHO
oduced the surplus? Wasn't it the ia
rkers on the farm, in the factories, &c
mes, etc.? Farmers cannot grow a oil
ir of shoes on the farm. But with an
; help of workers in the factories, in
:, they can produce what we are mi
d is surplus of shoes. liz
no Owns This "SurpIus"? no
And next / want to ask you, WHO De
ms this so-called surplus after it is
,duced? Is it the farmer? Is it mi
rkers in the factories, mines, ETC.? lis
course not. Neither of these two bu
ups who do the work and produce stl
waalfh avan I'm ao-callad e1lrnIuo NJ,