Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1912-08-16
FOOD FOR THOUGHT

| opening chapters of an article by
Frederick Irving Anderson which
every farmer should read. 1t is en-
titled The Farmer of Tomorrow, .
and tells the experience of young
man who, after years of life as q
bookkeeper in city. was enabled
by an unexpected legacy to crafty
his longing to buy the farm in Iowa
on which his boyhood had been
spent. He bought the farm at $3.50
an acre from the man to whom his
father had sold 1t for $40 an acre.
He did not have any children, but
his wife and he went back to the
farm" full of enthusiasm. The first
year he raised a good crop of corn
which sold at more than the average
price for a number of years. But
this man had been a bookkeeper for
so many years that he continued to
keep books on the farm and at the
end of the year he struck balance
and found that it was in red ink.
The articles continues as follows:
He looks once, he looks twice, he
dashes across the pasture lot to
Neighbor Jones, who is polishing off
a new automobile in the sunshine.
jeremiah explodes with the direful
tidings.
He is bankrupt! Farmer Jones is
bankrupt! Everybody is bankrupt!
They ought to be in the hands of a
conseryator, or at least a receiver.
And Farmer Jones-who has been
there a long time-looks at jeremiah
once, twice, and then says honki
honk! with his new horn.
But there it is in black and white.
Look back few paragraphs and fig
ure it out for yourself, in rent, labor
and taxes. Never mind the salary for
the superintendent who was to risk
and manage so much capital Cut
out the > cents an hour that was to
&c to Mary. In bare time it has cost
jeremiah from 81 to 50 an acre to
SOW. cultivate, harvest and haul his
corn. Add the item of interest. Then
bring on the tax bills. jeremiah sells
corn at the market price, the price of
hunger, the price with which his
neighbors buy automobiles. And for
every acre of food he has manufac-
tured he stands an actual loss.
If he doesn't pay rent-that is,
interest on capitalize sheriff will
get him. If he doesn't pay his la
Dor, his men will garnishee him. If
he doesn't pay his taxes, he will be
advertised The only privilege land
has given him is to expend his labor.
The only privilege labor has given
him is to tap his bank account.
And you are in the same boat
that l ami" cried jeremiah ~ to
Farmer Jones.
Wait minute" says Neighbor
Jones. why should l pay interest
Or rent, as you call ton my
land 1t didn't cost me $3.50 an acre
inherited it from my father. The
government caught him when he
wasn't looking and made him a pres
ent of it. And what have wages got
to do with me?" asks Farmer Jones.
Il have two sons and daughter ana
wife. l pay them their salt. And
we have just bought a new six
cylinder sixty"
Isn't your time worth anything?"
asked jeremiah.
It's my own time, isn't it?" de-
manded Farmer Jones. II can do
what ] please with it,"
IF you sold your land and invest
ed the cash in factory to make bis
cults or buttons or gunpowder, in
stead of keeping it invested in land
to grow corn, would you expect it to
return you anything? Or would you
consider that it merely provided you
with a job that you could pass
around among all the members of
your family?"
Il would expect it to return me
something, of course" admitted
Farmer Jones.
Say you invested it in industrial
stock" suggested jeremiah. You
would not have to turn hand for
that 6 per cent, would you? You
and your family could ride around in
your six-cylinder sixty all day, and
you wouldn't have to bother about
getting up at o'clock in the morn
Ing to feed the horses and start for
the field. Your capital would work
for you. And, Mr. Jones'" went on
the bankrupt, IF you had inherited
soap factory instead of farm
from your father, that soap factory
would have to earn i..terest on its
capital, and pay fixed charges, to