The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1942-07-09
WNU Service, 1343 H Street, N. w.,
Washington, d. c.

washington, -. y.
There is an interesting story yet
to be told, behind the letter sent to
the President urging him to take to
the public the issues OF contlnu-
alton of the Farm ST curity admins
tration and the sale of grains for
feed below parity.
The story lies in the signatures
to that letter. There were seven Of
them and they represented two
farm organizations. three labor Or
CARNATIONS and two religious groups.
The combination of names, united
in a single plea, marks one of the
few occasions when farmer and
worker found common ground on
which to take a stand on policy.
And some persons in Washington
who are working for a closer farm
labor alliance see in the move the
beginnings of a realignment of the
farm organizations, with the forma-
ticn of new group that has at least
a loose agreement with the AFL and
the CLIO behind it.
Veteran observers who have
watched agriculture and labor pull
in opposite directions for many
years still feel these two groups
have more to disagree than to agree
upon. But they admit that this time
the situation was ideal for mutual
logrolling. Backers of new day in
farm organizations say it is more
than that.
They point to significance in the
signatories of the letter to the Presi-
dent. The seven signatories of this
letter we're:
First, James G. Patton, president
of the National Farmers union. the
most radical of the farm groups.
This group contains more tenant
farmers and fewer farm owners,
than the other farm groups. 1t is
virile, growing outfit.
Second, Murray Lincoln, execu-
tive secretary of the Ohio Farm Bu-
reau Federation Of Ohio. The Farm
Bureau federation is not left-wing
organization. Its President O'Neal
is opposed to selling grain below
parity. But Mr.. Lincoln, head Of
the Ohio Farm bureau units, has a
mind Of his own. He runs buying
co-operatives in the country. He is
very consumer-minded.
The next signature is that of Will
liam Green, president Of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor, and the
next Phillip Murray, head of the
CIO. The fifth of this group is J.
G. Luhrsen, executive secretary Of
the American Railway Labor Execu-
tives association.
The religious groups are headed
by L. G. Ligutti. executive secre-
tary of the National Catholic Rural
Life association, and Benson Lands
of the Federal Council Of Churches.
Those who don't know the whole
story behind efforts to realign the
farm organizations see only the sur
face reasons why all the organiza-
tons represented by the above
names were willing to support the
issues mentioned in the petition.
The tenant farmer who is am
bilious wants to own his own farm.
He sees in the Farm Security ad-
ministration an aid to that end. He
considers this help substitute for
the vanished frontiers-the days
when man with strong will, a
willing wife and sharp axe could
cut a new home out of the wilder
ness to which the government was
glad to hand him the deed.
Cheaper Food
This concept concerns labor less
directly but the question of cheaper
food concerns him considerably. The
argument for sale of grain below
parity is that it is necessary to keep
dairy and meat products prices
down and the Farmers union claims
that opposition to Farm Security
comes from Interests solely COM
mitted to the high-price-through-
scarcity concept" which Of course
is the opposite Of labor's platform.
Those are the obvious and imme-
diate reasons why the signature Of
two Of the country's leading labor
leaders rest among the seven. The
religious organizations have the
family and general welfare in mind
of course.
But there may be another reason
why Mr.. Murray and Mr.. Green
signed up. and why their one-time
colleague, John Lewis, didn't. The
story Of the part Mr.. Lewis didn't
play is closely connected with the
effort to create a new farm organ
ization which will have the blessing
of labor.
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