The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1911-01-27
The farmer
IS ACQUITTED
Not Responsible for Cost Of
Living.
- -
Agriculturalist Gets Only a
Meager Profit on Prod
uCtS.

Inc dSSuulpLfOn lS DiidL In6 pilCeS
of cereals and other staple food pro-
ducts of the farm are now too high
and have not Yet been lowered. And
that seems the universal cpinicn of
city jewellers and of the oity press
As farmer | ask space for COM
ment. writes w. l. Chamberlain in
the Outlook.
First, as to the producer, the farmer.
In Ohio he now gelts, at shipping and
milling points, 80 cents per bushel for
wheat $50 pounds,) SO cents per
bushel for SHIELDED corn (65 pounds,)
and 80 to 35 cents per bushsl for
Irish potaties go pounds) Here the
tanners responsibility fer prices
ends; and these prices are as low as
these products can be grown at any
profit with $3.50 ard board per day
for unskilled farm labor, and other
expenses in proportion. Apples are
high because there is only quarter
crop for our whole area Pork pro-
ducts are high because very short
corn crop some three years ago
caused am abnormally large autumn
/ marketing of hogs, including very
many breeding sows, and the normal
number and weight of marketable
hogs has not beem and could not be
ass yet produced; other meats are
high for similar reasons The point |
land the fact) is that the farmer is
not now ON the average gstting one
cent above living price for his
pnoducts s-,es--sssszrsiss-ss. -s-.-ezays
Second as to the village and city
consumer. If he would buy the same
goods and in the same way (quanti-
ties) that would pay little If amy more.
He could now, as then lay in for the
winter ten bushels of potatoes from
the tanners wagon for $3.50 TO 81,
five bushels of apples for "a to IS,
two barrels of wheat flour for $40
(from the mill or cash grocer) two
hundred pounds corn meal for 50 and
so on for his winters supply at
wholesale. No, he does not buy thus.
Three things chiefly make him as
rule, pay abnormal prices fancy goods {
in fancy packages; minute retail pur- !
chase with house delivery; the credit !
system with bad debts. which those |
who pay at all must also pay. One
or more of these three enter into
nearly every purchase. Does he buy 1
good cornmeal at $3.50 per hundred
weight cash? No. he must have pre- I
pared breakfast foods. cooked into c
paste, rolled into filmy shets, and
toasted to a popcorn flavor, done up D
N fancy packages. adorned with ar Q
tistic pictures, and delivered tone :
pound) at his city house. three miles a
from the grocery. and he pays twelve b
cents per pound, 1900 per cent OF b
what the fanmer gets for the corn b
that made them! Does he buy flour. 3
as OF old and as he now can at 50 n
per barrel of 1876 pounds. No. the p
city man (woman) buys very little Il
flour. wholesale or retail His Oher) "
prayer is: Give US this day our Il
daily bread biscuits, crackers, a
waters, fancy tidbits. what not de- g
livered at the door" q
Yes, IL saves work and we all hate "
and shun work but 1t increases the >
,ost of living sometimes many fold. u
The city dwsller yields most willingly St
% this modern luxury and rush and ~
hatred OF mental work which demand 81
hat everything be in small fancy -
cuts, celery and salads, de- y
ivered daily ready for the table OF an
Is nearly as may be. ALI right let ~
i'm do so--and foot the bills Bui 'l
ct him not blame the farmer for high
,rices. Prices of staple products as ~
hey leave the farmers hands are not 80
insist too high for a reasonable ~
,rofit to him. nor higher 10 the town 10
onsumer than formerly II he would ca
My buy the same sort OF things. I'm "
arse instad Of minute way. and for OF
pot cash. Do