The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, June 9, 1919, Page 11

the Kendrick bill be so amended as to permit federal aid to any state or municipality which undertook to estab- lish a terminal market under public control. This terminal market plan would permit a state or city to estab- lish a stockyard, and either slaughter ‘meat animals in its own plant or lease sites in the yard to co-operative or private plants under a local licensing regulation. This legislation might possibly get through congress, and might, if enact- ed, tend to reduce the growth of the packers’ control of the food supply. Kent admits, however, that ‘it is only a palliative and not a cure. He favors the public ownership and operation of the railroad system, including the stockyards and ' cold storage ware- houses. ; That the people are becoming awake to some details of the packers’ control is indicated by this resolution, adopted by the Wisconsin legislature and pre- sented to the senate on May 20 by Senator La Follette: “Whereas, the price of American full-cream cheese was up to a rate ranging from 35 to 38 cents per pound during the fall of 1918 and until some recent date in January, 1919, although the central powers and most of the neutral powers were not being sup- plied; and : “Whereas, after the cessation of ties’ showed & tendency to drop, and has recently dropped to about 27 or 28 cents' per pound; and - z|HE changing attitude of many noted churchmen and of church organiza- tions in general toward social and economic prin- ciples is exceedingly in- teresting. Following the resolutions adopted by the Methodist Epis- + copal church of Canada stating its at- titude on social questions of the day, which were reproduced in part in a - recent issue of the Leader, Harry F. Ward of the Union Theological semi- nary, in a speech before the Methodist preachers’ meeting in New York in March, made a statement that is equally of interest. In this speech, which has been printed and is being distributed by the Methodist Federation for Social Service, Mr. Ward said: : “We now pass to another significant group of forces. terests. Whatever industrial change comes about in the United States will, of course, have to reckon with our large rural population.. That rural population has changed since most of you men lived on the farm. It is changing in two ways. In the first place, there is the spread of tenant farming, over 50 per cent in Kansas, g0/ that the governor has to recom- mend a new constitution -which would change the whole attitude of the state - towards land taxation and ownership. “The rural life movement has over- come to a large extent the mental iso- lation of the farm group. - Also they are being taught co-operative organi- zation. What did the milk producers do here 'a few weeks ago, and what are the cotton growers of the South now doing in deliberately controlling the direction of their labor power and its output? But more significant still is the organization of thé Nonpartisan league in the Northwest; an organi- zation which has already reached " about 800,000 members in 13 states, with one of the best devised and most machinery yet appearing in our his- - tory, controlling absolutely the legis- lature of North Dakota, f “association, offered a suggestion that hostilities the price of these commodi-" It is the rural in- - perfect. working pieces of ‘political. “It is from that state that there - “Whereas, despite the need of food in Europe it is commonly reported that |- the large storage warehouses are filled to their utmost capacity with this food product; and “Whereas, our farmers are being charged such high prices for wheat bran, gluten, oil meal and similar feeding stuffs, that these abnormal conditions will mean a great loss to the farmers of this state; now, there- fore, be it “Resolved, that the federal trade commission is hereby respectfully re- quested and urged to investigate, as soon as may be, the conditions of the supply of cheese and butter in stor- age warehouses and other places of commiercial storage, and the condi- tions of supply of the various mill feeding stuffs, and to report the re- sult of such investigation to this legislature with all convenient. speed in such a form as to fully advise the farmers of the true cause of the pres- ent condition of the market for cheese and butter and the prices charged for mill feeds.” : S The federal trade commission has covered the whole subject in its re- port on the packers.. There is no hope for these Wisconsin farmers except through the breaking of the control of the packers over the mill feeds and other prepared feeds, and over the cheese and butter market. Congress has power to smash the Big Five, through public ownership of the chan- nels of trade. Congress opposes pub- lic ownership this year. Churchmen and the New Democracy Methodist Preachers at New York Told to Watch North Dakota by Speaker on Social Problems 4 has come the most statesmanlike ut- terance that I have yet seen from any American public official concern- ing bolshevism. The governor of that state recently. said: ‘Here in North Dakota we believe that the best pro- tection against rebellion is to assist rather than to retard evolution, and in this state it is the intention to re- move discontent and prevent disorder by removing the legitimate complaints of the people instead of trying to stamp out just grievances.’ In that .state théy have developed a program ich includes a large amount of te ownership, affecting grain ele- vators, mills. and banks. It is a part of the program of the Nonpartisan league to seek alliance with the forces of labor in the cities. In North Da- kota they 'have already put through some very good protective labor leg- islation. : “The political possibility of an al- liance betweén the farmers and the city workers is not so significant as the fact that here is a political force | working for economic change, which is organized on the occupation basis. Nobody can belong to the Nonpar- tisan league who is not a farmer. That is the thing to reckon with out there in North Dakota—a change in the fundamental conception of the basis of political action. It is funda- ‘mentally a class movement—a move- - ment of the working class on the fairms—and it is reaching out and try- ing to join hands with the movement of the - working class in the cities, which, in turn, is trying to include the brain workers. Remember that they have been feeling the power of big business. They have been denied halls to meet in. Their organizers have been run out of town and ar- rested on trumped-up charges; also do not forget that in that working class on the farm there is a pretty Targe sprinkling of college people. The workers of both brain and hand are _on the farms-and if you want to know what they are-going to do in social change in this country, watch North ADVERTISEMENTS The New Progressive Norwegian Weekly of the Northwest to Be Published From St. Paul HE demand for a progressive, fearless Norwegian weekly newspaper in the Northwest, which is not afraid to tell the truth, has led to the organization of a company to publish such a newspaper. The temporary directors and officers are all mem- bers of and boosters for the Nonpartisan League and organized labor. The paper will be owned, operated and controlled by the organized farm- ers and laborers of the Northwestern states, and those who are interested in seeing such a publication launched are urged to co-operate with us by subscribing for one or more shares of stock. Fremtiden will not be controlled by any individual or group of individuals. The several hundred stockholders will operate the paper through their board of directors, whom they will themselves elect at the annual meeting. Shares in Fremtiden Publish- ing Company are sold at $50 each. Help to establish YOUR OWN NEWSPAPER by send- ing in your check for one or two shares of stock TODAY. If possible, we want to avoid the unnecessary expense of employing stock salesmen. The paper will be established as soon as sufficient stock has been sold to guarantee its fu- ture success. The éubscription price of Fremtiden will be $2.00 a year —and worth it. Send all remittances to Fremtiden Publishing Co. ' Box 660 Nonpartisan League Headquarters St. Paul, Minn. RES /ALESS Special to Nonpartisan Leaguers Now you can save 25% on high grade tires—a bigger saving on quality tires than you can get elsewhere, We pay war tax, We save you $6.89 on Ford sizes—proportionate saving on 0 Pershing R : _I-uxoucuy. 0 o iosauri eresi GUARANTEED 6,000 MILES 2rgct .. 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