^lAriAr AN EDITORIAL ^^^ 



FARMERS are concerned over the epidemic of strikes now sweeping the country. 

 Farmers are sympathetic with labor's legitimate demands to secure fair wages 

 and healthful working conditions. On the other hand, farmers have no sympathy 

 for the type of labor union practices which attempt to advance the selfish interests 

 of a selected group at the expense of others. 



Some of the claims of the leaders for current strikes will bear careful examina- 

 tion. In many cases the strikers are asking for a 30 per cent increase in hourly 

 wage rates. This is equivalent to asking for 48 hours pay for 40 hours of work. 



One of the leaders of an automobfle workers union claims that the company 

 could grant the wage increase demanded, lower the price of cars and pay larger 

 dividends to stock holders at the same time. This claim appears to be fantastic. 

 However, we suspect that it might be true to some extent if . . . We suspect it 

 might be true /'/ some union leaders would permit their members to deliver a full 

 day's work for each day's pay ... if some labor unions would not insist on having 

 three men employed to do the work of two . . . and ... if some labor unions 

 would permit wider use of labor saving machinery and methods. 



Union men often ask why so many farmers are not more sympathetic with 

 labor unions. Farmers do not oppose labor unions as such, but they do oppose 

 practices which restrict production and interfere with industrial progress. Farmers 

 and farm organizations have devoted their attention primarily to making two 

 blades of grass grow where one grew before. Some labor unions, on the other 

 hand, appear to devote themselves primarily to making two jobs out of one. This 

 approach to the labor problem is very shortsighted. It retards economic progress 

 and perpetuates a low level of production and a low standard of living. 



Another claim of some labor leaders which will bear examination is that high 

 wage rates for labor are of great benefit to farmers. Here again this claim is true 

 if . . . It is true if high wage rates are universal . . . and if high wage rates are 

 accompanied by a high output per worker. 



Farmers have continuously supported working people, in unions and other- 

 wise, in all legitimate attempts for the improvement of wages and working condi- 

 tions. They will continue to do so, but farmers also will continue to insist on 

 policies and programs that give equitable treatment to all classes of citizens or 

 groups of people. Farmers believe that the best interests of farmers, workers, in- 

 vestors and in fact all classes of society require a sound economic balance in the 

 fields of prices, wages and profits. 



*••***•***** 



■y 



ELLSWORTH D. LYON 



Fall programs are attracting new members. 

 Counties reporting most recent acquisitions 

 are Montgomery, Christian, Edwards, Ma- 

 coupin, Will, Clark, Morgan, Fulton (two 

 of them veterans). Bond, Knox, Rock Is- 

 land (reporting an all out drive for new 

 members and even changing the meeting 

 night to the third Tuesday of the month to 

 accommodate a great number of young 

 people), Ogle, Warren, Edgar, and Taze- 

 well. 



Rural Youthers make use of experiences 

 in state camp, district schools, or visits to 

 children's homes and to hospitals by bring- 

 ing educational material back to local 

 groups through reports, the teaching of 

 parliamentary procedure or the new games 

 learned and by making helpful suggestions 

 for the local county programs. Some ex- 

 amples of such activity come from La Salle, 

 which was able to use nearly all of the ma- 

 terial brought back from the district Rural 



Youth school at Yorkville; Bond which 

 taught new games learned at state camp; 

 Tazewell which had reports on state camp 

 and the district school at Bloomington ; 

 Montgomery which reported on state camp, 

 district school at Carlinville, and visits to 

 the camp and hospital council at Scott Field; 

 and Will which reported on state camp and 

 district meeting at Yorkville. 



Rural Youthers over the state are digging 

 into good educational material. Lois Carl- 

 son, secretary of the Prophetstown-Tampico 

 Warriers, in reporting recently of the year's 

 work said "We had more and better educa- 

 tional features." Clark county has just re- 

 ported a meeting which shows they got 

 down to brass tacks on the discussion of 

 the theme "Rural Youth in Post-War Amer- 

 ica," by considering the following subjects: 

 "Land Prices and Taxes," "Improvements 

 in Home Economics," and "Improved Meth- 

 ods of Agriculture." The Forreston club of 

 Ogle county studied and demonstrated 

 "Table Etiquette." The Polo club of Ogle 

 considered homes of the future under four 

 headings: "Uses of Glass in Modern 

 Homes" by Harriet Schnulle, "The Cost of 

 the House" by Edwin Dew, "Heating" by 

 Glyndon Stuff, "Insulation" by Harold Avey. 

 Pictures of and an address on "Mexico" was 



S/SgL Vem E. Rusch (above). Rural Youth 

 member from Fulton county, is happy to 

 be back in the U. S. aRer action os a 

 paratrooper in Europe where he lost his 

 left loot when he stepped on a land mine. 

 He hopes to get home by Christmas but 

 will be glad to hear from his friends. He 

 is in Ward 14A oi Lawson General hos- 

 pitaL Atlanta, Ga. 



of interest to Morgan youth. Henry county 

 saw two movies, "As You Sow So Shall You 

 Reap," and "Helpful Henry." Fulton heard 

 Farmer Bill of Station WMBD on the theme 

 "Radio and People." Richland, the He- 

 bron group of McHenry, and Will discussed 

 "Two-Family Farm Business." At the Will 

 county meeting the majority of the young 

 men present requested a meeting at a later 

 date with representatives from the Univer- 

 sity to which meeting they would bring 

 their fathers. A former Rural Youther and 

 veteran of the Hartland club of McHenry, 

 Harold Menge, gave an interesting talk on 

 his travels while in the service. Edwards 

 heard a veteran from Wabash county who 

 spoke on his experiences while serving in 

 the armed forces; Whiteside's Newton No- 

 tions heard a veteran speak on his experi- 

 ences in Arabia, Egypt, and Italy. Schuyler 

 enjoyed Rural Youth slides for 1944. Rock 

 Island discussed "Race Relations and Ra- 

 cial Equalities." 



r 



Massac County Rural Youth was intro- 

 duced to the new farm adviser and wife at 

 the October meeting — Mr. and Mrs. Leo 

 Sharp, formerly of Macoupin county. 



Wayne has selected the three-aa comedy 

 "Let Me Grow Up" to be given in the near 

 future. Half the proceeds will be contrib- 

 uted to a local hospital. Montgomery meets 

 part of its civic responsibility by decorating 

 2)0 Christmas packing boxes for soldiers sta- 

 tioned at Scott Field. Saline took part in 

 a fall Farm Bureau meeting by providing 

 a speaker (Freda Hall) and demonstrating 

 square dancing. Bond served a dinner for 

 the R.E.A. 



A tractor maintenance short course 

 will be held Dec. 10-15 at the Univer- 

 sity of Illinois college of agriculture 

 and will offer instruction in all phases 

 of tractor repair and care with special 

 emphasis on the use of proper fuels 

 and lubricaRts. Enrellment for the 

 course must be made through your 

 farm adviser. ■ i 



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608 

 CHK 



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I. A. A. RECORD 



