The Farmers' Union from Topeka, Kansas • 3

THE FARMERS' UNION Locals in Good Standing Januar 1, 1910. ization. The thoughts contained in the latter part of the editorial were produced in May last in the Co-Operator in the main, but being pertinent to the as they are now, will answer as well as any other. The Co-Operator has only the good of the organization at heart and make3 these suggestions hoping that they may bear such fruit as will result in a perfect system through which all the agricultural organizations will be able to co-operate for the good of all. The Farmers' Union, as organized, cannot successfully co-operate as it should do.

If each president was a member of the National Executive Committee, then each state would have rep: esentation cn the National board but the West and the North would be represented equally, with the South. As it is now the South, teing 1 the strongest, has ah the represent x-tion, when it is essential that the representation should be equal. There is no be'ter wy to obtain this than changing the National constitution and make each state president a member of the National board. Each state will get their st men on the board and besides it will take it out of the power of any state to dominate the National board. The sooner this is done the better for the welfare of the A Jolly Old Time.

The handling and feeding of cattle on the farm or ranch is such an agreeable job this winter, that the men who are doing it will never forget the jolly old time they had, prying the feed loose so that it can be loaded on the wagon. If our city friends only knew what sport it is to feed a bunch of cattle a winter like this, they would all get out in the country and enjoy the pastime; and then, to see the cattle grow and' put on fat; why, if you stood around watching them long enough say about thirty days you could see if you knew anything about cattle, if a steer gained a pound in that time, but in all probability it was a pound of mud. And that, too, after eating 15 bushels of 60 cent corn. If that wouldn't make the owner of a bunch of cattle look happy, what would? And how cattle did grow for awhile you never saw anything like it, but they grew down instead of up, and if the ground hadn't froze up so quick, they would have grown clear out of sight; arid when beef is selling for six or seven certs a pound, and it only took ten to fifteen bushels of 60 cent corn to produce a pound of beef. Well, we can't describe the owner's feeling about that time.

One thing sure that he will be feeling for this winter, and that is his pocket-book. Hew cattle men will smile in the future when they think of the jolly Oiv. time they had in the winter of 1909 and 1910. 224 R. F.

Kells, Santa Fe 226 Henry Groner, St. Paul 232 Ed Steele, Folsom 233 A. F. Debes, Claflin 238 Ed G. Miller, Salina 245 Herbert Cole, Great Bend 247 W.

H. Gray, Downs 250 Dell 'Steward, Russell 251 Robt. Janne, Dorrance 252 C. F. Best, Bunker Hill 257 F.

W. Heiser, Downs 259 E. Leuenberger, Topeka 260 Thos. II. Easterly, Downs 261 E.

Rathbun, Downs 262 Albert L. Tombaugh, Minneapolis 264 John Strouip, Alton 266 F. M. Paul, Meade 267 Thomas Coats. Plains 268 Lon Gaut, Spearville 271 B.

A. Vangundy, Osborne 273 Edw. F. Keller, Claflin 275 Sallie DeArmond, Kalvesta 278 E. S.

Oliver, Attica 281 U. G. King, Plains 284 Ben Gray, Dorrance 285 Oscar F. Olson, Brookville 287 T. D.

Thomas, Portis 289 Orville C. Earl, Alton 291 W. H. Sellens, Bunker Hill. 293 F.

E. Deskins. Leeompton 294 Willis Franks, Cimirron 301 W. T. Campbell, Wileey 3C2 C.

E. Ca ver City 303 Thos. Callahan, Walnut 304 J. W. Lewis, Delphos 305 John T.

Nelson, Bloomington. 306 H. Davisson, Nickerson 307 JcShn A. Scheel, Emporia. 308 C.

W. Jacobs, Reading 309 Geo. Behler, Wilmore 312 C. E. McCoy, Emporia 314 F.

D. Moore, Osborne 317-A. Q. Holbert, Aurora 319 Jos. Muths, Tipton 321 J.

H. Pottberg, Downs 333 W. E. Keil, Glasco 336-W. Howell, Beverly 339 S.

D. Moore, Luray 334- S. A. Yenzer, Staffordville. 348 Ira Bickle, Portis 349 J.

F. Tirton. 352 C. O. Nesbitt, Luray 355 Mrs.

N. Montgomery, Mentor. 356 J. J. Clart, Melicine Lodge 3S2 T.

L. Curd. 354 O. M. Rhodes, Walnut 36 S.

A. Arnoldy, Tipton 367 M. Fleck, Maple Hill 369 Chas. W. Goheen, Downs 370 L.

J. Phillips, Luray 371 -Ira A. Glaze, Russell 373 John H. Budke, Salina 374 Isaas Griffith, Salina 375 R. H.

Soseman, Bloomington 376 R. C. Dixon, Saint Paul 377 F. C. Zodraw, Selden 379 E.

C. Daniels, Luray 378 P. P. Mumm, Selden 380 J. C.

Parker, Parkerville 381 Harry W. Whitaker, Reading 382 F. M. Ramey, Admire 383 Fred Roy, Wilsey 385 D. H.

Mendenhall, Lost Springs 389 W. J. Hibbs, Alton The secretary's books show the following locals to he in good standing up to and including the fourth quarter of the year 1909. The list is not near as large as it should be but weather conditions have been unfavorable to the building up of the organization during the fall and winter. We had to cancel so many appointments because the, roads were so bad men could not get to the place of meeting.

We get like reports froim organizers from all parts of the state. However, we nope a great many locals will be added to the list before our state meeting. The weather has been so very bad during the past three months that the members have not been able to attend their local meetings, and consequently did not pay up their dues. But we ought to have a let up in the real cold weather very soon, and' then the members will be able to attend their local meetings, and ipiace themselves in good standing before the state meeting. 18 L.

C. Potts, Osage City 31 J. C. McKee, Hallowell 34 R. G.

Sollenbarger, Woodston 35 Geo. W. Burr, Salina 37 Hans Gimm, Burlfngame 40 Albert Pelton, Sharon 43 G. F. Schipple, Salina 44 B.

S. Overholser, Med. Lodge 45 Nelson R. Perkins, Spearville 62 C. N.

Lambert, Osage City 64 C. A. Stenstrom, White City 69 W. H. Cook, Ford 80 A.

Stribling, Delphos 81 0. W. Chambers, Delphos 84 G. C. Schmehr, Bellefont 95 A.

A. Christiansen, Great Bend 100 Dan Houser, Columbus 108 E. M. Palmer, Minneapolis 109 Lee Stanley, Minneapolis 113 J. B.

Rockliffe, White City 122 James 125 H. S. Rice, Delpifcos 131 M. Gallagher, Gypsum 141 Frank Zoth, Olmi'tz 14? E. L.

Jacobs, Claflin 145 M. F. Sinsley, Cheney D. L. Wight, Salina 147 Jcihn Backofer, Salina 154 D.

O. Wright, Stafford 158 E. N. Butler, Bellefont 159 J. Depiesse Red Wing 161 Mabel Gage, Hoisington 163 Edwin G.

Kulander, Emporia 168 Lawrence Riley, Kipp 170 W. H. Herron, Spearville 173 R. M. Jones, Plymouth 182 Stanford Loomis, Emporia 184 Elmer E.

Weiler, Hazelton 185 F. I. Burt, Hallet 186 J. R. Tonar, Spearville 187 Elmer Weber, Salina 192 W.

L. Flory, Eminence 196 J. F. Schick, Lost Springs 200 W. E.

Stice, White City 207 H. N. Hildebrand, Montezuma 210 A. N. Anderson, Pierceville 217 Earl Miller, Tecumseh 219 Gus Eckwall, Falun 221 J.

C. Burdette, Ness City 223 Grant Plummer, Salina securing legislation for the benefit of the farmers, demanded by President Barrett and his co-workers. Have every member of the local union you can get sign the letter. This only requires a little work and it may do a great amount of good. "Ask and you will receive." A Huge Joke.

What a huge joke it would be on the Bulls and Bears and the grain gamblers of Chicago, and other centers of grain gambling, who have been buying and selling the growing wheat crop that is covered with snow and ice, if the wheat was wholly or partially injured by the continuous thawing and freezing. July wheat The above editorial taken from the Fort Worth Co-Operator is of such great importance to the welfare of every member of the different agricultural organizations that we publish it in full in the Farmers' Union. Something must be done 'along this line and if the members of the Union in the northern states want to have any say in the management of the Union. 'We regret very much that the delegates in attendance at last national convention of the Farm ers' Union were so sectional in their views when they elected the officers "of the Union. If one or more of the directors or even the vice president was given to the wheat growing states we believe it would result in building up the organization in the north much more rapidly than it is being built up at present.

If the main idea in the above editorial, namely (making each- state president a member of the board of directors) was a part of our national constitution this sectional selfishness would be eliminated to some extent; and we wheat growing people would think that they were a part of tho Farmers' Union of America. But why should we have so many different agricultural organizations? Why not form one great agricultural organization with a constitution and by-laws board, enough to cover the wants of all the different sections of the country? I believe that such an organization would be much more effective in attaining the ends that the farmers are trying to attain than the half doz or dozen small organizations can be working separately. And besides, if all the organizations were united into one the expenses could be greatly reduced to the members. Stri'and jealousies would be avoided and that which we are all trying for would be reached much sooner. The demands of 20,000 or or even 10,000,000 nembers working unitedly could not be ignored, even by a nation as great as ours is.

But a I have expressed my views in a former issue of the Farmers' Union, on the advisedbility of consolidating all agricultural organizations into one, I will not make any extended remarks at this time. We "-'ould like to have others express tuemselves cn this subject. The Love for the Farmer not Genuine As everybody is taking such great interest in the farmers'1 welfare at this time, Mr. Barrett and his legislative committee ought not have any very trouble fn securing legislation in the interest of the farmers. It seems to us that this would be an ideal time for the farmers to ask congress to put lumber on the free list.

Our pinerys are about exhausted and it would be a good thing to let them grow for awhile, perhaps they may increase some. Our neighbors north of us would be very glad to sell us lumber at reasonable prices; and the farmers would be ver- tlad to buy it $10 a thousand feet less than tbey are now naying or it. We would like for Mr. Barrett to ask congress for that concession, just to see whether this love for farmer is genuine or not. We would almost bet that if Mr.

Barrett asked for such a concession that he would he told to keep off the grass. Send Name of Delegate to Secretary Roadhouse. The secretary of each county union and the secretary of each local union should immediately after the election of their delegates to the state meeting send the name of delegate to the state secretary. If this is done it will greatly facilitate the work of the committee on credentials. Write to Your Congressman.

The Farmers' Union is not a political organization, but it will try to influence legislation for the benefit of the farmer. That is President Barrett's and the executive committee's mission to Washington just now, to influence needed, yes, much needed, legislation. Now, we can't all go to Washington, but we can all write a letter to our congressman and ask him to assist President Barrett in securing legislation tending to do away with gambling in the necessities of life. Or, probably a better way of making our wishes known to our congressmen wuld be for each local union, through Its secretary, to write our congressamn and ask him to assist in is being bought and sold every day in the Chicago grain pit and July wheat means the growing wheat. There is no question but that the option price of July wheat has an influence fn making the price on the new crop when it comes to market.

We hope that the time is near at hand when the farmers will be so united that such "animals" as ulls and Bears will have no place in making the price of the products cf the farm, and that they are now doing so is an acknowledgement that the farmers have not been looking after their own interests. It looks to us that the joke is on the farmers, to a greater extent than on the Bulls and Bears..