﻿Tire Tramps  
 
Discovered! a new explosive! 
A harvest hand tells me verbatim—verbatim — that: “We was running, short-handed, unsuspicious of impending holocaust —holocaust — when —one man blow’d up and so we two detonated on the spot and called for our time.” 
If these be true we’ve got the world by the— by the— axle.— T. N. T. is even so as the balmy breath of a zephyr compared to a cranky pitch-fork r in full eruption. The turbulence of powder, beans, and gasoline, is a doldrum of demotion ‘longside the agitation of a mortally offended harvest worker — an inverted blast, a suction — a locoed recession. You tell ‘em, editor, I’m stuck. 
The conditions on the farms this year have been worse than usual, what I’ve seen of them — this is due to new organization problems which caught us short, unprepared (witness the unseasonableness of this article) the least of these has not been the so-called “scissor or on wheels” for organization among them has not kept pace with that of the pedestrian although gratifying results have been gained. 
But contrary to stated belief the “Tire-Tramp” has not been used extensively as a wage cutting medium, if anything— he has been used as a wage-preventative insofar as he is directed from place to place by agents of the farmers (not that these agents earn their salt, for failure to maintain high wages is the result of our unpreparedness to handle the auto-worker and his problems; problem being new, we are excusable) but the damage done is insignificant, rainwater is the more to be censured. Almost satisfactory organization work has been done among them, considering all things. We might have had perfect success. 

From Jamestown flivver squads were sent direct to Devil’s Lake on the eve of a wage increase— the men were used; some with cards. The wage increase did not materialise. Note this: The Harvest Force is Four Times as mobile as it was Three Years Ago. 
Devil’s Lake can now hire in Jamestown, Oakes, or Wahpeton. Why not from union halls? 
Ray, N. D., was a clearing house for gas-harvesters — a company union not on paper but in fact, without the knowledge of said gas-harvesters. They were used — not only that, but they were used one against the other and both against all — rotten conditions remained, rotten grub prevailed — losers nothing, winners won grief. 
Four a. m., four auto tramps fired; twelve noon they report at Ray; Four p. m. another four drive into yard where first four were fired — thresher lays off two farmers and two W.s to make room for the four pilgrims. Apparently the threshers have agreed to that program— to use the gasoline help, for what purpose? To start war between help on foot, help on wheels, and help on cushions— all wage earners? 
Young men are hired in preference to older men. Why? Not because they work faster, not because they last longer. Young men are hired for two reasons: First, because young men are less cranky; second, young men take less exceptions to working with neighborhood children. There! * * * 
The older men will not work with children, even when said kids are two to one rack—doubling of child labor doesn’t excuse the crime in their eyes. 
Superiority of intelligence doesn’t enter here, older men are experienced. Intelligence doesn’t apply because the wrong is plain — palpable, guess they call it. Organization is the remedy for all that uncertainty. Very simple. 
To point out: How often do we hear it said Jews are successful because of superior business ability? Propaganda, pure and simple. 
We hear it said they succeed because they save. Camouflage. 
Again it is said they are tireless. I know no tireless failures. 
Jews succeed because they are well organized and for no other reason —organization carries with it solidarity. 
We can so organize with the agricultural workers, A. W. I. U. No. 110, and bring order out of all disorder. We must consult with these automobile harvesters (to our mutual benefit) for next year. The county agents will have systematized the placing, and replacement of men through their Tourist Clearing House located at favorable points. We’ll have cars. When that is done and the “rubber tourists” are organized — and it will be easy to do that since the grief has been great—we can look for a new world to conquer—it will be there. 
Haviland or Arbuckle bombing planes will deliver men, from a “central corral.” to all points, to be redistributed by bi-planes to farm— in them days, the flivver man will be out of luck — so I ask: Will you organize? 
“Henry Ford will form a Ford Farming company,” I hear, “his farm will be right close nigh unto 167,000,000 acres.” 
Will you organize?— Henry does. 
Needless to say Henry won’t ask “what’s wheat today.” He’ll tell ‘em! 
Let us so organize that he can’t tell us.