The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-06-12
THE GRANGE AND THE FARMERS
PROBLEMS
(By III. L. L0ucks)

Is the farmer to blame for the in
creased cost of living? If we were to
Judge by current comment We would
be forced to conclude that the cost of
living was entirely for farm products.
Manufactured farm products, gro
ceries, clothing, fuel, lumber, rents,
taxes, ETC., the things that have in
creased, and are increasing in price
ase practically ignored. All criticism
is centered on farm products; in effect
placing the responsibility for the high
cost of living on the farmer. Nor can
we blame the consumer, when he pays
the high price for food products, for
placing the blame on the farmer. He
naturally associates food or farm pro-
ducts with the farm, and when he pays
so cents per pound for butter, for
which the farmer received 20 or 20
cents, and 40 cents per dozen for eggs,
for which the farmer received 10 or
20 cents he thinks the farmer is rob-
bling him. He does not stop to inquire
how much the farmer actually received
for the product. The Department of Ag-
riculture estimates that for each dol,
lar the u pays for farm pro-
ducts, the farmer receives 46 cents.
This is the average for the whole
crop, and covers the whole Nation.
A very important point to remember
in considering this question from a
South Dakota, or northwestern stand
point is that the nearer the farmer is to
the consumer, the less the margin be-
tween and the farther away the great
er the margin.
We have a very limited home mar
ket; our products are almost all of the
class of which We produce a surplus
for export, hence we must pay the cost
of transportation and handling to
market.
The Dakotas are the two agricultural
states farthest from market.
The cost of transportation and hand
ling being greatest our farmers receive
a smaller proportion, so it is a reason
able estimate that the farmers of the
Dakotas do not receive one-third Of
the price the consumer pays.
We ship the raw products in the
most expensive way, so that trans
portation is much more costly than
need be. We ship u wheat and other
cereals, usually without cleaning, pay
ing the freight on the screenings in
addition to giving them away, instead
of comparatively manufacturing the
wheat into flour, and feeding the by
product to our stock at home. We ship
much of our live stock out of the state
as feeders, and ship the corn to feed
them, instead of furnishing them at
home or in the state. We ship our
live stock out of the state on foot, in
stead of curing and packing in the
state.
About one-half of our cream is ship
ped out of the state to be manufactur-
ed in Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska,
instead of being comparatively manu-
featured at home. In addition to the
profits lost by not manufacturing at
home, we pay the freight on, and
donate thousands of tons of butter
milk to feed some one else's hogs in
other states.
We feed our corn to our live stock,
without first extracting the alcohol,
which is of more value for fuel, light
and power, than the corn is to feed;
the feeding value remaining in the by
product, this is a clear loss, equivalent
to the present value of our corn crop.
Regardless of the fact that the YER
age consumer buys his needs daily,
we dump the years supply on the
market in a few months, thus forcing
the price down to the minimum on our
selves, instead of holding for the con-
sumptive demand, which might be
done by cooperation.
The farm value is based by the De-
partment Of Agriculture on the aver
age for the year, instead of the season
when the farmers sell.
1t is plain when analysed that the
farmer is not to blame for the increas-
ed cost Of living. He concentrates on
production, and produces so much that
a considerable portion has to go abroad
to find a market OF be wasted at home
for want of a demand as was the case
with potatoes last year.
He pays too little attention to mar
kets, distribution and sale.
Those who take care of that end
of farming reap handsome profits.
There is the weak point that needs
strengthening.
The successful trusts have shown US
how to do 1t.
We must by cooperation, concen-
trate our farm products into food pro