The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, September 7, 1916, Page 10

4 S1C] <09 | A % — : ¢579% | An assesTos ( /“'\) f\?"a/’ . | FENCE WILL PREVENT / ; "(l//” ’.\!(b PRAIRIE Flfi»asjpfla YOUR STEMS MUST HAVE. BEEN ‘HIT WITH RUST FOR THERE IS NOTHING 1IN Your HEAD! z The noted scientist, M. T. Dome, has worked a completely new farming process which, he says, will be a boon to the agriculturist of the - Northwest.. But let him tell it in his own language: : ‘ : = ; 3 “The present agricultural processes, it seems to me, are very was eful of time and effort,” says Professor Dome. I propose the adoption ot a process by which the farmer may plow, seed and take his ease in some mind-improving study or relaxation, all at the same time. I should -suggest that the farmers do all their seeding in the fall, and the wheat or other grain will thus have more time to grow. By attaching the traveling shelter shown in the sketch to the mechanical power drawing the plows and seeder the farmer saves the necessity of stopping work for his meals, but can continue work throughout all the hours of daylight. The farmer may even have an electric lighting device installed on his shelter and thus continue the work throughout the night, thereby being enabled to farm a much larger area.” i Professor Dome is now working on his botanical experiments to develop a seedless wheat, which he hopes to announce in a short time. Every farmers’ effort in Minnesota has smashed against the stone wall of the control of the legislature | by Big Business. The law created and the law protects this monopoly, forcing every grain producer and grain buyer to pay it tribute. Theé only hope of a free grain market lies in organization to wrest the control of the legislature ‘away from the InterestS. L You force the producer to -consign his grain to you and pay a tribute of one cent a bushel and it tends .to make the public at large dissatis- fied. It would be far better for the business people as well as the pro- ducers if they could meet on com- mon grounds, to come there and sell their products themselves and have an opportunity to do their business there at the chamber, have a say in the matter and see what is done Then they would go home contented. “SHIELDING THE CRIMINAL PART OF “JUSTICE AND EQUITY” “But rather than do that your rules provide immunity—that members need not incriminate themselves. I refer to a clause in Section 16, Article 4, of . Chamber of Commerce rules, which pro- vide that no member need incriminate himself in testifying on matters of ‘business’ disputes. We know that our laws grant that privilege to witnesses and hence it is unnecessary in the rules. The reason it is put’'there is evidently to put members on their guard not ‘to di- vulge matters or transactions that are in violation of anti-trust laws and it is an evidence of monopolistic tendencies. “It is also immoral and absurd to pro- vide a method to shield a criminal for ‘an organization Avhose object of exist- ence is to inoculate principles of justice and equity in trade.” Although ‘Mr. Steenerson had brought out very plainly the real nature of the _.... Minneapolis Chamber. of Commerce, that it was a monopoly consisting of a few :: ~men who dictate prices of grain and levy ‘a toll-on "all the grain products of the “~northwest = while - refusing protection ;- from -injustice committed by its own members, nothing - ever came of his “testimony. . The- committee adjourned - abruptly and turned in -a perfunctory ‘report. - It didn’t wish to learn apything . "interstate commerce, brought a feeling of “that the’eight-Hour day’shall be the b about the iniquities of the -Chamber of Commerce ‘nor to consider the great advantages that would accrue to the state of Minnesota by having a free and open .grain market -under ‘the state’s . super- - .vision, such as Mr. Steenerson had sug- gested. ; Strike -.Se‘trt‘lement Pl The néws from Washin>g£on, D. C., Sun- -day night that the great railroad strike had been called off, due to the action of congress in passing, at President Wil- son’s request, an eight-hour law for trainmen engaged in operating trains in great relief to “the ‘people of North Dakota, i i e The prospecf ofi‘b, ;’tfik@x #lread}; had depressed the grain market and.caused ‘restrictions - on the handling of. traffic. If it had become effective serious. con- gestion and hardship in this state would have resulted-as in many others. : The bill: passed. by congress pro: des . S - of pay.in the train service and provides also ‘for the ‘appointment of ‘a comniis «sion-to investigate the effect of he new order on railroad earnings. ' The law does not become effective until January .1, but nevertheless it was accepted by ‘the leaders of the railway unions as a satisfactory settlement of the: strike question at this time and the leaders of the four: brotherhoods immediately sent- out -telegrams recalling . the “order -to strike Labor Day,-September- 4. iy *The congressional commission is to in- ‘vestigate -the effects of the eight-hour: day- for..a period of not less than six months nor-more than: nine months and. . the - railroads ' are: “forbidden to lower trainmen’s wages while the investigation is in progress and for thirty days there- --The next important- step in the fight for better marketing conditions was the ~Equity movement; which is now familiar to practically every farmer in North - Dakota and Minnesota. This was early in 1910, ‘But 'that -year the crops burned up-and ‘little could be done. In eases N. D. Farmers representatives: of = organized labor in Fargo last Thursday and KEriday sent messages to Senators McCumber and . Gronna, and to.Representatives Helge- sen, Young and Norton, urging them to vote for the ‘eight hour bill. Although < the.action'of the farmers and the organ- ized laborers was not taken in consulta- tion, they looked to the same end, and both urged against any compulsory arbi- tration act. President Townley sent the following message . to -all .five of North Dakota’s representatives at Washington: “In the name: of simple justice and to ‘prevent adisastrous nation-wide strike, - ‘withpossible ‘suffexingzand -deprivation of ‘millions~of people, I"lirge you'to vote lfor ‘tha’ easure now:“Before 'congress day’s work for railroad employes on the present basis of compensation. Also ask. - that _you oppose any bill. which would: provide the slightest degree of involun- .tary servitude upon a single American workman through any’ form' of compul- sory arbitration. . - e “A. C. TOWNLEY, President, .congressmen, as follows:. - “Dear Sir: -.We respectfully : you vote for an eight hour day ;ent. compensation in: ilro; We emphati urge (that ~Chamber of Commerce to look providing-for eight -hoars as a®maximum: . oYEE and Anvestigate and the bill /NLE ; ~* .The 'mighty . organization. ‘with - “Farmers’ Nonpartisan League.” ' The several labor unions sent messages - %o all the North Dakots senators and ayiopopon. cifectually done. . _ever, the pr are looki 1911 the Equity was incorporated and- immediately it- was confronted with the problem of a market, with the Chamber of Commerce bugaboo also facing it. In the meantime—in 1909—a bill was introduced in the Minnesota legislature by Senator Saugstad of Polk county, the bill being drawn at the instance of Elias Steenerson of Crookston, provid- ing for the regulation of the Chamber of Commerce. This bill asked for three things—first, to do awdy with the pro-: : _position of limiting the number of memberships of the Chamber; second, the right of appeal to the district ‘court, the making. a public record of meetings in case an application for membership was rejected; third, supervision of the Chamber of Commerce activities by the railroad and warehouse commission, and of “the directors. 'FARMERS NOW LOOK FOR A BETTER DAY ; :I'his bill - was ieféned to the com- mittee on retail trade in 1909. The committee - was invited; over to the. -things ‘ inve! ‘conse- quently died in the committee. In 1915 “Senator ‘Lende introduced the bill and - the " agrieultural committee and again it was’smothered. today. ‘For three decades the farmers have . striven ‘to curb the Chamber of Chamber: of ‘Commerce without success: its - millions ‘of - dollars. is: too insidions when the legislature is in session and nothing With the advent of the Farm partisan - League i handled it - ' So_the situation' stands in Mifinesota :