The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1910-01-14
DEALERS CAUSE
COSTLY living.
Middlemem and Not the
Farmers get Profits.
Beef Trust and Railroads Also
Charged With Sending
up Prices.

washington, ID. u, Jan. S.-JdlneS |
Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture, while
he admits a great increase in the cost
Of living. relieves the farmer from
blame for 1t. He put the whole re-
sponsibility for increased cost of llv-
ing up 10 interests who make large
profits from tho handling OF farm
produce after 1t leaves the farmers
hands.
AS an instance of big profits after
the farmer had parted with his COM
modities, he cited his recent investi-
CATION the price of meat.
He urged other reasons to clear
the farmer of any suspicion Of get
ting swollen profits from the con-
sumer for his food products.
THE increased cost of grain enters
into the increased cost Of raising
hogs. cattle, chickens, turkeys and
all farm animals" he said.
1T does not pay to fatten hogs
and steers on 90 and 7O-cent corn un-
less the price Of meat Is high. IL
takes high-priced grain to.raise chick
ems that lay eggs.
RANGES ARE SMALLER.
THE ranges for cattle and sheep
are becoming smaller and smaller
each year. This of course means
that more corn and hay must be
fed to range stock"
How about wheat prices?"
"Oh, wheat has heretofore been kept
cheap in price because 1t was raised
on the cheap and rich lands Of the
pioneer. 1t was always raised ON the
frontiers in bonanza fields and by
machinery.
"The frontier Is now retired into
Canada, and the average crop oil
| wheat per acre has lcssened from
year TO year in this country.
THE farmer cannot afford to raise
spring wheat now on old land. He
has done all he could do to keep the
price of his products down. He Dies
all his work by machinery that he
can.
| CHANGES ON FARM.
"A short time ago | was back on
the old place that | used to farm IN
Iowa. A couple of my younger Eel
atives now run the place. found
them doing twice the work in the hay
and grain fields by machinery, with
half of the help that it required when
ran it.
Its a fact that New York and the
other large cities are full OF unem-
ployed labor, but il Is utterly I'M
possible to get this labor to so out
and help the farmer.
They will not leave the city, ana
II they did they would be iound
of very little value, because they
know it all and it seems a waste OF
, time TO try to teach them TO be
useful.
GOES TO MIDDLEMEN.
II say" continued the secre' afy
that there are too many middlemen
trying 10 live off the farmers produce
They crowd into the cities and Try 70
live by getting profit in the hand
ling or sale of the producers prod
ucts. These people ought 10 go on
the land and raise crops.
"The increase of prices of t'rn
e products follows this routine: Firsi
e the farmer sells in the fall or wintei
his animals and grain, when prices
e are usually moderate. The railways adj
3 a slice for carrying, the commission
4 man gets his profits Grain goes intt
: the elevator and animals inUo dress
e ed meat-more profits.
: PROFIT FOR ELEVATOR.
. THE elevator man or large grair
t buyer holds the grain until the price
: IS doomed UP In the spniDg or sum
:. mer following. to cover carrying
{ charges. interest and insurance ant
e give himself big profit when tho
r grain goes abroad or Is ground intt
. flour.
e Flour goes by rail and through thu
/, hands of the wholesaler and retailer-
/. more profits. Then the baker gets j
G when a short loaf sometimes goes t
h the consumer at more profits. Ever,
: movement after the produce goes on
s Of the farmers hands cost more to IN
e consumer"
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