Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1912-03-16
Across NdSSdWdnqO.
March l4th, 1912.

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The high prices, which consumers are
required to pay at the present time, has
resulted in intense agitation and boycott
upon meat and other farm products by
the consumer in protest of the prices.
Congress. State. and various city coun-
ellis have appointed committees to ascer-
tain. il possible. the cause of high price
living. Newspapers have given all sorts
of reasons for the present condition of
affairs, and they have come to no solu-
tion as yet. Take the case of meat.
The farmer is the producer. He has
several thousand dollars invested in
farm and farm buildings. He raises a
calf, grows the feed necessary to feed
it, and feeds the calf until it becomes
beef animal, and sells il to Il local buyer.
The local buyer adds his profit to it, and
puts it on railroad car to ship to the
city. The railroad charges certain
sum for freight, which is added to the
cost of the animal. When it is delivered
to the stock-yards of the beef trusts, the
beef packer slaughters the animal. and
adds good big profit. and by virtue of
their monopoly they control the supply
and hence the price of the article. They
turn it over to the local meat dealer, and
the consumer pays the whole bill.
Just listen to this: The beef trust
added to the amount of their profits last
year, thirty-five per cent and the butch
ers in cities and towns were receiving a
profit of forty per cent. making total
of seventy-five per cent. which the dis
tributor takes off the consumers dollar.
and the other twenty-five per cent. goes
to the farmer.
Out Of this twenty-five per cent. the
farmer must pay his hired man, taxes.
and the big profits of the farm imple-
ment trust, and the balance he can keep.
So what's the use of kicking? The
problem is easily solved. 1t is the same
with all other products. Take the case
of coal. The freight upon carload of
coal to Maryland, and to other towns
here. is greater than the cost of the coal
at the mine, showing that the distribu-
tor gets more money than the producer.
So everywhere you go you can heaf
kicking about high prices. Not only the
people, but Uncle Sam. The big deficit
in the Postofiice Department of millions
of dollars has caused an emotional panic.
The second-class mail matter is respon-
sible for that, so Uncle Sam says. He
says it does not pay. so up goes the
price of second-class matter. So as we
look over the various departments of
our government. Does the navy pay ?
Do the other departments ? lguess not.
But we are always kicking. We kick
because the government pays so much
per pound for carrying the mail. and
pays certain amount of rent for each
postal car. When this annual rent is
more than the entire cost of the car,
why not take this money for one year
and buy our own cars? No. we want to
kick. Or why not give us parcel post ?
No. then the express companies would
kick. Well. then let us all stop kick
ing, or move up north and live with the
Eskimos, where they never have kick
nor bath from one years end to an
other Or go TO Africa where every
one is happy and contented with full
dress suit consisting of smile and
pair of cuffs. Or if they object to long
travels they might go to the cemetery.
There is no kick coming there. But af-
ter all people will take different view
of all these troublesome times and pass
verdict like this ''Man comes into
this world without his consent and leaves
it against his will. During his stay on
earth his time is spent in a continuous
round of kicking and Misunderstanding.
In his infancy he is an angel: in his
boyhood he's a devil; in his manhood he
is anything from lizard up; in his du-
ties he is fool; if he raises family he
is chump; if he does Mt he is freak:
if he raises a small check he is a thief.
and the law raises the devil with him:
if he is poor man he is poor manager
and has no sense; IL he is rich, he is dis
honest. but considered smart; il he is
in politics you can't place him as he is
an undesirable citizen; If he goes to
church he is a hypocrite; if he stays
away from church he is a sinner. and
goes below when he dies: If he doesn't
he is stingy and called tight wad.
When he first comes into the world.
everybody wants TO kiss him; before
he goes out everybody wants to kick
him: il he dies young there was great
future before him: if he lives to ripe
old age he is simply in the way and liv-
ing 20 save funeral expenses. But az
ter death there's no use of kicking.
Even a jackass knows enough TO kick