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Show THE 3 SEARCHLIGHT — Farmers Take Warning (Continued from preceding page) by the State Legislature. They surmise that right now is the time to stick a sharp harpoon into the to use want They bargaining. collective cash resources of the Legislature to ascertain an encounter. They want the Utah law-makers to monkey with out worked hours the structure of wages and with infinite care by the National Government. Clyde and his lads want to have a legal right They plan to take enough to sue the labor unions. extra profits from the people so they can afford to retain a horde of hungry counselors, to keep And turmoil. labor organizations in constant labor organized they before risk have a hundred and one other projects organizations the hope may cripple they they protect Of there is no actual clash of whether a smelter worker in- (for instance) puts in 8, 9, 10, 7, 6, or 5 hours a The farmer’s immediate concern is hmday. ited to whether the worker is paid enough to enable him to buy farm products at fair prices. industrial But there is a clash between of workers and the superaecquisitive habits Clyde and his business allies—a clash growing out of the refusal of workers to be victimized. (Until collective bargaining began to make headway in ZCMI, some of that concern’s employees were paid as little as $55 a month for a full month’s work.) their part the workers of Utah have no desire to engage in a controversy with real farmThey want the farmers to be their friends. ers. And they want to be friends to the farmers. They see no reason why any bona fide farm organization should be antagonistic toward wage earners. On carry no chip on their shoulders. They are not even disposed to challenge the selfpreclaimed infallibility of the Farm Bureau arisshiny they seek to dim the Nor do tocracy. Union halos of Welling, farm the men Me-to Clyde Edmonds, or other politicians who farmers. all they Tracy Boyer, systematically question the motives of any outside element stirring up unnecessary trouble and dissension during the war emergency. Union Above want no trouble. if the real farmers, misled and propaganby on dized by the Deseret News, and egged Relaand his predatory Labor Clyde Edmonds tions gang, are determined to seek a fight with the workingmen of this State, and will be satisTROUBLE-MAKfied with nothing less, THOSE But THEY WON'T A FIGHT—AND ERS CAN HAVE NEED A BULLDOG TO HELP THEM FIND IT. Modest Gus that terests between genuine farmers and industrial It cannot make a particle of differworkers. ence toa farmer want that workingmen. course, that interferes avoid distraction They have with production and the war effort. They have voluntarily waived the right to strike. hour stabilization, believing accepted wage and those concessions to be in the National interest. They have made it plain to everyone that they to men The State Council of Defense has asked the Legislature for an appropriation of $300,000 The Council was orfor biennial expense. Out of an initial eanized on June 13, 1941. appropriation of $125,000 it has spent $44. 013.50. The reason for the inerease is not apparent. A skeleton organization and existing machinery should be kept intact to function with military authorities if this area be threatened. There seems to be little need of expansion beyond existing activities. that There is one aspect of the request Governor Herbert should not pass unnoticed. B. Maw is chairman of the Council. Gus P. Backman is vice chairman and executive director. Neither the Governor nor Mr. Backman —the heads of the Council—made the request. Instead, Mr. Backman directed Lawrence A. Johnson, secretary to ask for the appropriation. have never We Why all the modesty? known either Gus or His Excellency to play Are they the roll of shrinking violet before. afraid that other notorious activities, with which they have been connected, might prejudice the Legislature against either or both of Of course, we find ourselves in agreethem? ment with the idea that Mr. Johnson enjoys ereater confidence in legislative cireles, and hence may find less opposition to the request That may be the answer to for more money. the riddle. |