The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-02-26
The Farmer and HIGH Prices

It is our humble opinion that the
present cutlery against the present
high prices commanded by the prod
ucts of the farm comes with mighty
poor grace from those of our people
who for years have profited from the
helplessness Of the farmer and COM
PEELED him to pay tribute to every
hodys' extravaganza except his own.
The tendency of these labor times,
particularly in the cities and larger
villages of this country has been to-
wards extravagance-and somebody
or some class has had to suffer from
it. and we think a craetul analysis
will disclose that the farmer has con
tributed more than his fair share to
what has become a national disease.
Take Springfield for an illustration
and a better town does not appear on
the map. Time was when the people
were content to purchase their goods
and carry them home. Now if wo-
man is caught on the street carrying
even a yeast cake she apologies for
it, and If a man is seen with a pack
age. the suspicion is strong that he
is lust returning from North Walpole.
The result Of it all is that there are
in Springfield fifteen or twenty deliv-
cry teams and carts costing not less
than one thousand dollars per year
each to maintain and operate which
expense must of necessity be added
to the price charged the customer
for his goods. 1t is safe to say that
at least eighty per cent OF this eX-
pense represents the cost of a ser
vice which the ordinary family could
as we'll do without service render
ed almost entirely for the ease and
convenience of the people residing
in the village-and for this service
the farmer must pay his proportion
whenever he patronizes a grocery
store or meat market although he re
ceives no benefit from It.
Our merchants are not to blame
for this. 1t is one of the results OF
conditions widely prevalent among
the people everywhere in this coun
try.
But is the farmer receiving toe
much for what he sells? In the ligh
of his past experience We do not be
lieve that he is.
For years the Vermont farmer toll
ed on under such conditions that h'
was compelled to sell his products fO
less than they cost him, that is If hi
time and labor could be counted al
worth anything and the people othe
than himself received the benefit.
he succeeded in paying the interes
on his mortgage note he was counted
thrifty and If il became known tina
he had made a payment on the prin
cipal this was regarded as evidence
tending to show that ne had beef
watering his milk. And through
all he was compelled with his ever
sale and purchase to pay tribute Z
some combination somewhere. II
caught it both coming and going
For ourselves we are glad that cor
ditions, apparently worldwide in el
tent have at length brought him int
his own for he is now actually r,
ceiving a fair return for his labor an
from his capital invested
We do not expect nor do we wan
ever to see the prices OF farm proc
ucts reduced to their former low Ley
ell, and we are the more Statistic
with this condition from the fact tha
the rapidly increasing demand for Ii
Dor i'm the various fields of America
activity and enterprise must of me-
essity favorably affect its value an
price, and only those combination
which have unduly protited from til
toll of both farmer and laborer wi
! be unravorably affected.-SpringHel
| Reporter