16 FARMERS' UNION AND FEDERATION 



fix and control the price of wheat can it be maintained at a 

 uniform price the year round ; and that would be best for 

 all necessary business in handling wheat and its products : 



(a) FOE THE WHEAT GROWER. The wheat grower could 

 then buy his land, make improvements, buy teams and 

 machinery and hire help, with the assurance that he will get 

 the interest and wages returned in the price of his wheat. 



(6) FOR THE ELEVATORS, MILLS and BAKERIES. These in- 

 terests, knowing in advance the sure price of wheat, could 

 operate on a much smaller margin of profit. They would 

 not have to deal on the board of trade to protect themselves 

 against loss by a violent depreciation of values. A normal, 

 uniform supply need only be kept in storage. That would 

 make the demand for wheat constant the year round. 



(c) FOR UNION LABOR IN CITIES. Knowing the stable 

 price of wheat, union labor in cities could feel protected 

 against a corner in wheat that would increase the price of 

 bread. They would also be better satisfied to know the most 

 of their bread bill went to fellow union laborers on the farm 

 instead of to wheat gamblers and speculators. They would 

 know that it would aid in giving them steady employment, 

 as it came back in the increased demand for all the things 

 the wheat growers need. 



Will it pay to unionize for these advantages? 



Local Benefits from Higher Wheat Prices. 



From every live town, village and rural neighborhood 

 there is a perpetual flow of money going out for supplies 

 of commodities needed, and a perpetual return stream of 

 money for their products needed elsewhere. Upon the size 

 of this return stream depends absolutely the degree of pros- 

 perity of that community. In strictly agricultural States 

 and localities where wheat is the primary crop, its price de- 

 termines the size of the return golden stream to that locality. 



