The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1958-01-17

in the fields from sunup until sun
down and stayed up all night as a
midwife to a first-calf heifer. I've
never been far enough from a corral,
even in the newspaper business, not
to smell manure.
1 believe in God, in the Ten Com
mandments and in the Golden Rule.
And if 1 thought, or could find any
evidence, that a "freedom-to-work"
law would help and not injure the
farmers of Idaho, 1 would have advo-
Gated it long ago. I've never held a
card in a labor union in my life. But
/ certainly don't like to see farm
organizations and Idaho farmers get
tangled up with schemes Matched by
the National Association of Manufac-
turers and the U. S. Chamber of
Commerce back in New York City
and Washington, D. c.
l don't believe that farmers have
heard both sides of the story.
Will a 'Right-to- Work law help
the farmer? If a right-to-work law
will help Idaho's distressed farmers
and ranchers, the IDAHO FARM
JOURNAL will come out 1000 for
it next week-and apologize for not
favoring it before! Anybody who
knows me knows l mean what l say.
Will a right-to-work bill increase the
price of spuds? Will it lower the
costs of autos and trucks made in
Detroit? Will it mean lower prices
for tractors made in Illinois and Wis
consin and imported into Idaho? Will
it lower freight rates. Will the price
of hay go up or down? And what
about poultry and hogs?
Maybe such neo-farmers as Fred
erick ]. Smith, John H. Webb and Eli
Weston can answer those questions!
But let's go on:
Will 'Right-to- Work hurt farmers?
1 was saddened when the Idaho
Grange endorsed the anti-union labor
petition. Somehow the Grange-old
and reliable and sensible as it has
been for, 10, these many years
doesn't seem to fit in with the Ma
tional Association of Manufacturers |
and the U. S. Chamber of Commerce,
both labor-hating and farm coop hat
ing groups. There has been certain
dignity about the Grange which l have
liked. | don't know why it succumbed |
to the anti-Idaho forces back of this
"Freedom- to- Work" initiative. But it
did. Grange meetings are secret, so
there were no newspapermen present.
But we know the Grange action was
far from unanimous.
Now, who buys farm products? The
fellow with family, living in town,
making a good salary. If he is out of
a job, or his wages are reduced, he'll
have to leave the butter and steak
counter and buy oleo and old-bull
bologna for his kids.
That is what Eli Weston, Boise at
torney, told an audience in Twin
Falls. Ella likeable fellow whom l
know well-said that HIGH WAGES
IN IDAHO WOULD BE REDUCED,
but that it 'would even up" AS top
wages went down, employers would
be able to "pay more to the lower
bracket group!
In other words, carpenters, cleo
tricians, plumbers, and others who
get SO an hour, would have their 1
wages lowered. Those in the lower
brackets would get raises. That slaps
right at the farmers, both Grange and
Farm Bureau members, most of whom
employ men throughout the year. The
average farm wage in Idaho is $1.13
an hour. Therefor, in order to keep
Idaho's purchasing power up, the
farmers will have to raise the hired
mans wages! Cut the carpenter down
to So an hour; raise the farm hands
wages up to So an hour-or $2.13
an hour!
How far can this ''freedom-to-
work" deal go? Let's see:
Could it apply to professional I'm
ions? Mr.. Eli Weston, lawyer, be-
longs to one of the tightest unions
in the United States. Nobody can
practice law in the State of Idaho
without the approval and consent of
the Bar Association Membership is
No Doctor of Medicine =