The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1943-03-05

Whether a farmer is a hired man.
a renter or an owner, he tolls for MS
living. Of course, gentleman farm
ers,' the plantation owners and the
owners and managers of large cor
porate farms are not toiling farmers.
They neither SOW or reap, but they
live bountifully from the toiling farm
ers, and constitute the supporters OF
the farm bloc" They are misrep-
resentatives of the toiling farmers.
The legitimate farmer is not only
a toiler-he is a skilled craftsman
Like most craftsmen of today, the de-
gree of skill required of the farmer
has Increased with the advance OF
science and technology.
Not only must the farmer be a
skilled machinist and mechanic, but
as our land becomes more and more
worn by cultivation, he must be-
come more and more skilled in the
modern science of agriculture If the
productivity of our land is to be
maintained. He must be pract-
ical biologist and veterinarian. The
sustained degree of his skill largely
determines the standard of living
for all of us.
In these war times, the farmers
grave responsibility is to produce
enough food and fiber to provision
Americans and their allies. Our farm
ers have been called upon, and have
impressively responded, to break all
food production records in history.
They must grow the desired crops on
the right land and in the right way.
To fail in any one of these particulars
would hamper production, prolong the
war, take a far greater toll of lives
and might turn the tide against us.
The skilled character and vital i'm
portance of his labor should be an
important measure of the farmers in
come. But it never has been. The
farmer, like the unorganized city
worker, has simply asked his exploit
ers What will you give me for the
products of my toil?"
When a large corporation enters
into an agreement to produce NUM-
lions of war for the government, it
figures every item of cost, even the
wear and tear upon swivel chairs in
which numerous vice presidents sit
while they toll.
Our farmers have gloriously re-
sponded to the needs of our govern
ment. Without government contracts
and guarantees, without special con-
cessions to persuade them to change
over" to war production, they en-
larged their productive capacities for
war. Their patriotism was never
shackled by an attitude of business
as usual"
Organized labor long ago placed
upon the unfair list the products of
the sweatshop 1t is high time that
bacon and eggs be placed on that list.
1t is surprising there is contention
over the question of whether farmers
should receive, not profits, but costs
of production"
| can assure our rural friends that
the great body of American indus
trial labor is more than willing to
consume the "sweated" products of
the farmers labor than they are to
consume the products of the indus
trial non-union sweatshop. Labor.
would welcome the opportunity to
see the "union label" on every farm
product. Labor, the principal con-
sumner of farm products, would glad
ly respect a farm union label that
signified fair reward to the individ-
uaI farmer for his toll.
Labor now knows that no matter
how low or how high the price of
food, the farmers receive on an aver
age only about one-half of the amount
paid by the consumers.
Labor knows that in 1941 the people