The Farm Voter and the Primary 
Selecting Sympathetic Candidates 
The picture shown in Fig. 342 was taken from 
The Groin Growers’ Guide , published at Winni¬ 
peg, Man. This paper has for its motto “Organiza¬ 
tion, Education, Co-operation.*’ The picture here 
shown is used on the first page of what is called its 
political campaign number. The farmers of Western 
Canada have been able to help themselves greatly 
by taking an active and aggressive part in local 
polities. Their best work has been done in the 
primary by helping to select candidates who are in 
sympathy with farmers, and who will work for the 
needs of agriculture. The primary is the best place 
for putting in this kind of work. After a candidate 
has been selected by a party it is very difficult to 
defeat him, except in districts where the balance of 
power is very small. It is human nature for the 
average man or woman to vote the party ticket. 
They will often grumble more or less, and find fault 
with the candidate, but the political managers figure 
that in the end the voter will walk up and vote the 
straight ticket. Therefore these Canadian farmers 
have found that if they are going to get anywhere 
in the march for their political rights, they have 
got to have proper candidates, and thus they make 
a feature of turning out at the primary and voting 
for the candidates who are openly and fairly for 
the farmers. The farmer shown in this picture is 
carrying out this plan. Tie is putting his mark 
against the name of the man who as 
he knows will represent him and his 
business fairly. When people know 
that this is going to he done, candi¬ 
dates who are tried and true will come 
into the battle and give the farmers a 
chance to vote for them. At the pres¬ 
ent time in this country it is often diffi¬ 
cult to get such candidates to take a 
hand, as they fear they will have no 
chance whatever against the money 
and the machine of the politician. The 
truth is. however, that in every agri¬ 
cultural county in this country a com¬ 
bination of 1.000 farmers with a solid 
bunch of 1,000 votes can heat any 
$100,000 of political graft that ever 
came out of the bank, whereas if these 
1.000 farmers are scattered and broken 
up into little groups separated by pre¬ 
judice or party feeling, $100 carefully 
used will beat them. 
We are not advocating any agrarian 
party at this time. That may come in 
the future, but. first of all there must 
be an agreement on the part of intelli¬ 
gent farmers to support one of their 
own class, and one of their own busi¬ 
ness whenever they have an opportun¬ 
ity of doing so. That is the first step 
iii political organization. It is the 
simplest and most sensible way of ob¬ 
taining political power, and from it 
will grow greater things for farm legis¬ 
lation. In Wayne County, N. Y.. this* 
year, there is to be the greatest oppor¬ 
tunity to do work of this sort that has ever been 
presented to our Eastern farmers. The issue on 
this point is clear-cut and definite, and we fully 
expect to see the intelligent farmers of Wayne 
County rise up and show the rest of the nation what 
farmers can and will do when opportunity presents 
itself. 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
there is also a majority for repeal. Over 00 per 
cent of farmers oppose daylight-saving. What is 
known as “organized labor” went on record as 
opposed to the present law. A fair minority of city 
people also oppose. President Wilson favors the 
present law, and is expected to veto any repeal 
bill. While Congress has a large majority for re¬ 
peal, it would be difficult to muster a two-thirds 
vote to override the President's veto. The House 
of Representatives attempted to put another “rider” 
on the appropriation bill which would repeal part 
of the law. The Democrats thought they saw in 
this a political move to discredit their party. There¬ 
fore a good share of them voted with the friends of 
“daylight saving” and prevented this “rider” from 
going into the bill. Thereupon the House passed a 
separate bill repealing the law. This bill seems sure 
to pass the Senate, and will then go to President 
Wilson. It is said that he will veto it, and in that 
case it is very doubtful if it can be passed over his 
veto. The only thing that can be done is for 
farmers, individually and through their organiza¬ 
tions, to bring the strongest possible pressure upon 
the President and upon Congress. It is believed 
that President Wilson has been out of touch with 
affairs so long that he does not understand how 
intensely farmers feel on this matter. We make 
this plain statement of the facts that all may under¬ 
stand them. The political aspects of the case are 
becoming serious. Without question this daylight- 
saving trouble is being used with great effect to turn 
Doing a Good Dog’s Work. Fig. 3.',2 
country people from the present Administration. 
Farmers will make a mistake if they fall into a 
scheme for using this issue to obscure much larger 
ones. 
Sheep Meeting at Cooperstown, N. Y. 
A great meeting of sheepmen will be held at 
Cooperstown, Otsego Co., X. Y., on August 13. The 
State Federation of Wool Growers will have their 
field day at Glimmerglen Farm, and it promises to 
be a great gathering. On the following day (August 
141 the Otsego County Sheep Growers’ Association 
will hold an auction, at which time 225 sheep of 
different breeds will be sold. New York sheepmen 
should help make this meeting a great success. The 
sheep business is coining up, and the wool growers 
are building up a first-class organization. This will 
be a great chance to get together and pull some of 
the wool off the eyes of the public. 
The Real “Daylight Saving” Situation 
Since President Wilson vetoed the “daylight-saving” 
repeal which was tacked onto the agricultural appro¬ 
priation bill, there have been many wild statements 
about the situation. The cold, hard facts are as 
follows: Doth Houses of Congress have a large 
majority who favor repeal. In the country at large 
Save the Wheat Prices 
Time for Farmers to Act 
If > s time for the farmers of the United States to act 
if they are to receive anything like a reasonable price for 
•the lower grades of wheat this year. The Grain Cor¬ 
poration officials have fixed a price schedule that makes 
it possible for wheat to bring as low as $1.13 per bushel. 
Ilns means that practically the entire crop will net the 
farmer but $1.50 to $1.03. instead of the "guaranteed 
price, played so large before the farmers previous to 
seeding last. Fall and early this Spring. It now becomes 
the duty of every farmer to insist that Unde Sam keep 
Ins word, living up to his long reputation which has 
caused us to say that ‘‘it is as good as a. Government 
bond,” but which we cannot longer say if this is allowed 
to stand. The only remaining hope for the farmers now 
is to bring such pressure to bear on Congress that that 
body will force the director of the Grain Corporation to 
pay better prices for the lower grades of wheat or allow 
competitive exporting. 
In answer to the appeal for food to win the war the 
farmer did his share and planted the greatest wheat crop 
in the history of the world. lie did this with the under¬ 
standing that the Government would stand behind him 
and not allow him to suffer a loss be cause of his pa¬ 
triotism. It is time to act, and every farmer should send 
a letter or telegram at once to the Congressman from his 
district and to the United States Senators from his State 
urging that they demand fairer prices for the wheat 
crop. T.et bodies of farmers send night letters by wire, 
which will cost about live cents per name signed. 
Granges, farmers’ clubs, farm bureaus, farm loan asso¬ 
ciations, etc., should all marshall their forces in a strong 
appeal, not only to save the 11)10 wheat prices, but to 
save the word of the men who made a very plain prom¬ 
ise months ago to stand by the farmers, who had stood 
1161 
by the war administration as regards food production. 
Grain men and several of the grain inspectors feel 
the Government is doing the farmer an injustice in arbi¬ 
trarily fixing the prices recently published in grain 
schedules, which show a discount from the $2.26 price 
as low as $1.13 per bushel, or a 100 per cent reduc¬ 
tion. “All low' grades of wheat,” said one big grain 
buyer, have been merchandised to the export trade in 
years when the Government did not have control. As 
things now stand the Government has a monopoly on the 
export business, and there is no chance for dealers to 
try to get a better price on the foreign markets.” 
•T. S. Hart, chief grain inspector for Kansas, pointed 
out further injustices of the list of schedules, as print- 
ed. saying: “I believe the proposed prices are unfair 
for instance, a load of 00-lb. wheat that otherwise was 
sound and sweet might contain 16 per cent moisture in 
which case it would have to take a discount of 21 cents 
and therefore -would net the farmer $1.70. The Grain 
! orporation could buy the wheat at the discount, run 
it tniough (1 'ying liouso, t<iko out por cpnt moi c - 
ture and increase the value of it 21 cents a bushel The 
cost of drying this wheat, according to a published 
schedule put out by the Grain Corporation, would be 
if- 2 cent ; s a bushel, and the shrinkage would amount to 
•' 2 cents a bushel. This makes a total cost of eight 
cents a bushel for drying, and would leave the Grain 
Corporation a profit of 13 cents a bushel for drvinsr 
alone. - J & 
“Here is another example,” continued Mr. Hart 
load of wheat that teste.l 50% lbs. would grade sample 
and take a discount of 25 cents a bushel. If in addi¬ 
tion to the light test it contained 17 per cent moisture, 
. P° r damaged grain and was smutty it would re¬ 
ceive a discount of 23 cents for moisture. - 14 cents for 
smut, and Lo cents for damaged grain, or a total dis- 
eount. <>t s. cents, and would net the farmer only $1.13. 
a 1,':, r old method of handling grain prior to the 
h f h 'fir f ain control by the Government, 
most of the wheat below Xo. 3 went to the exporters 
who were glad to buy it at a scale of discounts rang¬ 
ing fiom fne to L cents, depending on the quality of 
in e i Sn Y U ' r M * government has refused to permit anv 
d ah.r to export wheat, and has announced that it will 
handle all export business. This makes 
it look like the new regulations are dis¬ 
criminating against the farmer in favor of 
the L nited States Grain Corporation and 
tne large terminal elevators.” 
There is an added injustice to farmers 
—tlie State grain inspection laws, differ¬ 
ing m certain States, but unjust this sea¬ 
son mst the same. These laws are com¬ 
monly known to act as a protection for 
the grain mill and elevator interests and 
'mall buyers against the big grain buv- 
ers at the large grain centers, while 
there is no inspector to protect the farmer 
against the small buyer This makes it 
possible tor the small buyer to buy the 
taliners wheat as Xo. 3 or lower and 
ship it to terminal markets and have it 
graded as Xo. 2. The farmer with no 
means of testing his wheat or knowing the 
various grades of grain is at the merer 
of the small buyer, who has nothing to 
tear it he gives the farmer a lower grade 
than is just. 
Honest, grain inspectors admit freelv 
that this is an injustice, and admit also 
that the small elevator man is better able 
to protect himself against the large grain 
dealer than the farmer is to protect him¬ 
self against unscrupulous methods prac¬ 
ticed by the small dealers, but they say 
they are powerless to do anything to help 
the farmers, because no funds are provid¬ 
ed by the Grain Corporation to pay sal¬ 
aries of inspectors for this work. - The 
need of the hour is for American farm¬ 
ers to rise as one man, demand that the 
present Government schedule of wheat 
prices be set aside, and those which are 
honest and in keeping with the original 
promise be put into force. That all dis¬ 
counts on Xo. 1 wheat be given recon¬ 
sideration. with wheat farmers themselves 
—not millers, elevator men, bakers and 
export middlemen in the ring with the 
Grain Corporation—but the men who 
raised the grain and who are the logical 
ones to establish schedules. The methods 
of establishing grades and discounts as 
carried on by Mr. Barnes and his staff is 
comparable to calling in a horse doctor 
when your baby is sick—he called in a lot of “experts.” 
but all of them were middlemen, or a majority. Write, 
wire and appeal to your representatives now, asking them 
to demand that the Grain ('orporation keep its word'. 
Get all the farmers of your community to do likewise. 
EARLE W. GAGE. 
Co-operative Sheep Associations Prove 
Their Worth 
Concerted efforts upon the part of local and wholesale 
wool buyers to break up the co-operative wool sales of 
the county sheep associations have marked the wool sea¬ 
son just closing. In Wayne County, X. Y., buyers have 
come out with open threats to disrupt the association be¬ 
fore another Spring. In other counties they have been 
just as active, if less frank about it. 
The favorite methods employed are as old as the hills. 
Bribes were offered to influential farmers in the form of 
high prices for their wool, in the hope that they would 
break away from the pool. To their everlasting credit, 
few of the real leaders fell for this bait. Questions were 
raised as to the correctness of the grading, and offers 
made to buy the wool ungraded. Chiefly, however, the 
competition offered was one of price, and here is where 
the weakness of the dealers’ case is most apparent, and 
few takers. Meanwhile, the secretary of the County 
Sheep Association was keeping the members advised of 
the wholesale market. Failing to get wool at 50 cents 
the local buyers began paying on .Tune 3 as high as 60 
cents— a gain of 10 cents in two weeks. Meanwhile 
wholesale quotations as secured from a reliable firm in 
Xew York City had either not changed at all or ad¬ 
vanced a maximum of two cents for some grades, all of 
which is prima facie evidence that the local w’ool buyer 
intended to buy GO-cent wool for 50 cents, if possible, 
and that because of the existence of the association he 
was defeated in this effort to the profit of the farmer. 
(Continued on page 1171) 
