The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-11-26
~.TuprIar ,

Niotk' D'tlf tdAst 4
Years ago the children had a game ;
called "tsrizzly Bear Two players .
sooK their station some yaros apart
and midway between them. \ little to !
one side, there was another. called the |
.srlzzly bear Than this dialogue
took place between the two:
How far from here 81 sdoily
Bight?"
"Theee score miles and ten
car ! get there by candle iigl,t?"
Yes II your legs are as long as
timber light But mind tnat old
grizzly bear don't get you on he
Then the two would make d dash
TO get to each others bases without
being caught by the grizzly bear.
We hear q good Zeal about the
high cost OF living and tho thing re
minds n Of h grizzly bear. Re
member that all in its last
analysis Is the mere exchange OF Ia
Dor. While the man who makes cot
ton sells it for money which he f.
naily avs to the man who makes
shoes. the real question is not how
much money the cotton maker gets
for his cotton, but how much shoes.
The question with the shoemaker is
how much cloth he will get for his
labor In making the shoes. In II
words, the shoemaker is swapping his
S!lotS " k1IC SOLSOli"1IldA Ci AOI NAoI1
and the cotton-maker Is swapping his
cotton for shoes. 1t is to the interest
of both to get as much as possible.
Now, there are hundreds Of steps and
Of people between these two original
producers, who are Interested in get
ting as much shoes and cotton as
possible. And every grab that is Ia
ken from the shoes before they get
TO the farmer make his pile SO much
wv, 81 il0r Hrd aJyArrr cr.Sh - l. 0 from
the cotton before 1t gets 70 the shoe
maker makes the amount Of clothes
that he IS TO Wear that much smaller.
Now, our commercial system seems
to be organized for the purpose OF
taking just as many grabs as posi-
Bile. Between the man IN one part
Of the country who uses his labor
to produce wealth and The man IL
another part Of the country who is
using his to produce another Kind OF
wealth., there are swarn1s os grizzly
pears and all of them making a graf
to get Just as much Of the stuff thai
is being exchanged as possible. This
is why so little is left for those who
work. It is easier to grab on the
road than 1t is to produce at elthet
end. and as the grabbers SET up every
hindrance they can to the free pass.
age of goods it is no wonder that they
\ get the ions share.
=, Now. the men and the instrument
\ who are doing the legitimate worf
. Of exchange are just as necessary a.
! those who do the original act O.
g production. But there are 50 man,
iilesitimate agencies that should no
. exist that we have what is known a
/ high cost of living. It IS high for tn
farmer because SO many people naV'
taken a grab at the shoes before ~
!. Gets them, and il is high for n ma
l who buys clothes because 50 man.
have taken 8 grab at the iafnnef
: cotton before 1t reaches him. mes
"A unnecessary things are = srlzzi.
: hears on the road, and they are play
= ing the mischief.
when the railroads water thei
stock and raise rates to pay inSeres
on capital h a never existed, lIe.
are grabbing g part of the pofatoe
= and the corn and the meat that IN
a farmer has sent off TO s~ap Tor ID
things he needs. and they IN Iur1
take part OF the things that com
back to him III n.aKe the pies &
q 10th ends smaller. Wall Street gam
y hing sends up stocks ana this IN tar
noco,nos 2 grizzly bear on ffe !oS'