166 FARMERS' UNION AND FEDERATION 



tion and by-laws for the union to adopt by a referendum 

 vote of its entire membership. My plan will do as a tem- 

 porary form to unite in membership on, then, of course, they 

 will take charge of their own union and make such changes 

 in its organic laws and officers' duties as they deem best. 



"Well, let's have it quick and short, as I am rarin' to go 

 to the unionizing meeting to apply for membership. 



General Guiding Principles for Unionizing. 



Well, Mr. Wiseman, 1 shall just give a few principles as 

 a general guide to unionizing : 



1. It should be planned so everyone above 18 years of 

 age of both sexes who raise wheat to sell, or who derives 

 his greatest income from land rented for wheat, can be mem- 

 bers of the wheat growers' union. 



2. The union should not be a secret, ritualistic or social 

 affair, but strictly a business organization for the one main 

 purpose of so controlling the price of wheat through its own 

 elected officials by the minimum price system as to cover 

 skilled labor wages and overhead expenses in producing it, 

 and for the secondary purposes of collectively buying wheat 

 farming implements, twine and other supplies, securing extra 

 labor for harvesting and threshing at uniform wages, and 

 for other business of mutual interest to wheat producers. 



3. The unit of organization should be the township in 

 all localities where wheat is the principal cereal crop, and 

 the county where thinly inhabited, or but comparatively 

 little wheat is raised, or district union composed of two or 

 more townships or counties. 



4. Meetings should be held where the general political 

 elections are held, or at the most convenient place centrally 

 located for all members, and not oftener than there is im- 

 portant business to transact that can't be postponed to a 

 regular meeting, which should be held quarterly and on the 

 same date throughout the United States, say at 2 P. M. on 



