Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-02-03
Agricultural.


The past year has been, on the whole, one
Of the most favorable seasons for the farmer
since the period Of high prices following the
war All farm products, with few eGcep-
tions, have brought high prices and there is
an encouraging prospect that good market
for all the products of the farm will continue
through the present year. Some of the mi
nor products, as apples and beans, are SELL
ing for more than twice last years prices.
Live stock of all kinds is in demand at an
advance on the prices that have prevailed for
some years previous. There has also been
general advance on merchandise and such
articles as a farmer has TO buy, but the rise
has been proportionally less on these than on
farm products. Still farmers complain, and
they have more than one Just cause of COM
plant The difference between the reward
of their labors and that for official or pro-
fessional service, or of speculation or trade,
grows constantly wider as the wealth of the
country increases and accumulates in un-
equal proportion in the hands of the few.
The equality that formerly existed among all
classes Of citizens is disturbed by the grow
ing inequality in the distribution Of wealth.
The working farmer who is really dependent
upon what his own labor makes the land
produce, is fortunate, indeed if in lifetime
of toll, besides the support Of himself and
family, he sccumulates property worth
S5OOO Yet we now hear of man who
talks about $50, 900 for few weeks of pro-
fessional service!
While the farmer of to-day realizes but
little more for his labor than did his father or
his grandfather before him, the charges of
leading physicians have been increased to
excessive sums; laboring men, in sickness,
have been charged for single hasty, profess
sional visit as much as they would receive for
a months labor, when in health. The annu-
al salary of a popular preacher would be a
fortune to an average farmer. The fees of
leading lawyers have been increased to such
an extent that no farmer in the ordinary
circumstances of his class can afford to ap-
peal to the law for Justice Official salaries
of all kinds have been increased ffAhin the
last forty years nearly three-fold.
The efforts of class to live on the labor of
others while producing nothing themselves
the effects of vicious system Of trade, and the
unfair discrimination of railroad companies
is thus referred to by lecturer Earle of the
Massachusetts, state grange:
1.-THE law of nature is that certain guam
tity of work is necessary to produce a GER
tain quantity of good. If you want knowl-
edge, you must toll for it; if food, you must
toll for it; and if pleasure, you must toll for
it. Men do not acknowledge this law, but
strive to evade it, hoping to get their knowl-
edge and food and pleasure for nothing.
Were every man and woman an honest toiler,
all would have an abundance of everything
and half their time for recreation and culture.
eve need cooperation to prevent the
frauds of competition. The profit now rea-
LIKED on the goods we buy is very often large
ly the result of worthless and often poison
Gus authorizations, shoddy and short weight
or some form of legalzed robbery. From
statistics given have been able to condense
statements which show that in the year 1876
out of S25, 600 900, taken for fertilizers sold
in the United States, nearly four. ffths, or
about $40, 600, 600, was total loss to the UNI
sophisticated farmers who purchased them.
In the last 20 years four million sewing ma
chimes have been sold for about $500, 900, 600
At least two-thirds of this has been charged
to our wives and daughters above fair profit
to manufacture. dairyman in the state of
New York is charged 6jc a hundred on
cheese to New York-165 miles, and the
same railroad combination that charges this
rate brings cheese more than thousand
miles for 3Oc. The same is true of all non
competing points. Two hundred thousand
drummers whose expenses and salaries take
more than $500, OOO, 900 annually, are paid
by the consumers to support the present sys-
tenn of trade. The adulteration of foods is
one of the most alarming results caused by
competition. Day by day the evil is sapping
the life of the community. In competition a
good profit is often esteemed of more conse-
quence than a good conscience. A prom-
nent manufacturer said he was forced to adul-
terate his goods in order to compete with
others in trade"