The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1910-10-07
The Reasons For
The High Prices
View Of the Situation That is Well
Worth Reading BY Those
Who Are Affected

Various have been the reasons
assigned for the prevailing high
prices of foodstuffs. The city press
is disposed to account for the high
price of meat and other necessities
to the constantly increasing wage
scale of organized labor, and the
labor organs, always :'biffing"some
ignis fatuus, blame the trusts, which
they liken to the vampire bat, and
in ringing editorials on the abuses
of plutocracy, tell their readers Of
the millions the meat trust is steal
ing daily from the farmers and
consumers. AS a remedy these
labor organs plead for more intell-
igence and unity among the peo-
pie, says the Pilot Rock (Ore.)
Record.
Henry George, however, foresaw
danger ahead for the country when
all the people attained high de-
gree of intelligence. He saw in
the graduate of an endowed COL
lege man, who might not be con-
tent to make an honest living on
small apple tract, which would re-
quire his own labor and attention
to provide comfortably for himself
and family. The old pioneers who
settled the country were not, as a
rule, men who as the term is now
understood, intelligent, as they had
no time to be given up to acquire
tnent of knowledge on such ab-
struse subjects as trusts, labor or
\ carnations or the power Of the
ballot in the hands of beggars, or
to shed tears over the fact that
God made the land for the people.
The more educated, the more in
telligert the people, the more
dreamers apparently we have in
the country. No man is account
ed intelligent today who is not
able to make living without do
ing manual labor. Parents who
are anxious to see their sons go
thru college and come out equip
ped for professional life have
much to do with discouraging farm
life and adding to the woes of con-
gested centers and the high prices
that are puzzling the minds of the
professional class.
The fact is the prices of farm
products, high as they are, are not
high enough. Country people have
no fault to find with the prevail
ing high prices. If the meat trust
is to blame for the prevailing high
prices at which cattle, sheep and
hogs are now selling it is to be
praised. not condemned. A NUT
ton chop may seem high for those
who spend their time in joy rides
and racing around the cities in au-
tomobiles and to that other class
who spend their time addressing
socialistic and anarchistic meet
ings in the parks and back rooms
of five cent beer joints, but to the
Pilot Rock sheepWan, who receives
500 per head for his marketable
lambs. he is perfectly willing the
excoriated meat trust should be al
lowed something for skinning the
lamb.
There is still vacant land in the
Pilot Rock country for those who
want to eat meat, but cannot do so
on account Of the high price. but
to the majority Of them death thru
starvation in the city is preferable
to life in the country on farm.
While some of the JOY riders and
blatant socialistic orators are busy
ing themselves with solution of
high prices a few girls have come
into the Pilot Rock country and
filed upon land with a view Of be-
ing able to make a living for them
selves. The boys are looking
about for some easier way Of maxi
ing living.
Il is not only farm life, but life
outside Of the big cities, that is