164 FARMERS' UNION AND FEDERA TION 



16. The national wheat growers' union would seek to 

 unionize the wheat raisers in all wheat exporting countries 

 and with their national executives form an international 

 wheat growers' union. This body would seek to make the 

 minimum price uniform so far as possible and practical, and 

 probably divide the needs of importing countries among 

 the exporting countries, supplying those nearest them and 

 agreeing to not ship to each other's territory, especially if a 

 strike or boycott is on. This international executive com- 

 mission would be composed of delegates from each of the 

 national executive committees and be authorized to deal 

 with the " wheat executive" of importing countries collect- 

 ively. Since the needs of importing countries are pooled and 

 bought through a single agency, there is no competition in 

 the buying, and the need of exporting countries pooling their 

 wheat and selling through an international agency is impera- 

 tive if fair prices are to be had. 



17. As shown, the high or low price of wheat cuts little 

 difference in the price of bread in cities. With a low price 

 the wheat raisers would be unable to do anything for them, 

 but with a high price they could help them in several ways 

 by giving some of them work on the farm, and others work 

 in the factories, supplying things needed on the farms. 



18. As explained in No. 16, it is contemplated that an 

 international wheat growers' union would be organized as 

 soon as we take the lead. Then wheat prices the world 

 over would be virtually uniform and stabilized. Then there 

 would be no object in boycotting any member nation. If 

 this unionizing of wheat growers is not done, then the in- 

 ternational buying syndicate will play one selling nation 

 against another to beat down the price. Their agents will 

 work through the board of trade in surplus wheat countries 

 to sell the price down and buy at the lowest possible point, 

 first in one country then in another. But should the time 



