The Sentinel=record., 1913-12-26
MUCH ABUSED HEN
 IS NOT AT FAULT
CONSUMER MUST LAY PRESENT HIGH PRICE OF EGGS TO SOME
 OTHER CAUSE.
Abstemnous Resolutions of Well Meaning Consumers Often Fail Be.
 fore End Is Accomplished.
(By Peter Radford, Lecturer National
 Farmers Union.l

Fort Worth, Texas, Dec. 25.-The queen of the American barnyard has had more revots among her subjects during the past few weeks than per. haps at any time during her rule on the Western hemisphere, and lest the of The nations poultry yard do her an injustice in recording the I want to make few observations in her behalf
 The consumer should not be taken too seriously; he is always complain ing. Many times he has called King Cotton a tyrant. has rebelled against the steer and the hog, and in mutt nous moods. he has refused to eat bread, but his seditions do not last long. Responding to the wall of the consumer the federal department of justice investigated the hen as uncer- emoniously as though she were Wall Street millionaire: the house wife has railed at her and passed res olutions questioning her business in 'tegrity and the press has carried sen sational stories accusing her majesty of disloyalty to her subjects. until the friends of the hen have cried out God save the Queen" When the consumer raises a howl, the entire machinery of government is set in mo- ton and the power of the press rushes to the rescue The consumer is a great talker, but he is mot the whole hing. and what he has to say should be taken with grain of salt.
 If patriotism and justice were the motives that actuated the investiga- tions and resolutions which the hen has been subjected 70 on account Of the high price of eggs, why is it the low price of eggs has never received the attention of these public spiritSG citizens? Should not the farm house wife feel as deeeply outraged when she is compelled to sell eggs at a low price as the city housewife when she is compelled to pay high price? Is it not a question of whose OK is gored?
 It would be interesting 10 know when and where the hen entered into an agreement with the consumer to furnish eggs on demand at prices fix ed by the city housewife Can any one produce the document? Why should she be arraigned before the highest tribunal in the land and hu- initiated by inquisitorial proceedings and her conduct subjected to review by mere consumers whose knowledge of the poultry business has been ac- Guired at the breakfast table?
 During all this furor the hen has stood upon her constitutional rights, cackling merrily as she laid fifty m1l- lion eggs per annum in the United States is equal to the annual gold pro- duction of the world The yearly egg production alone is double the value of the annual petroleum supply ot the nation and is equal to the value of the iron orc production of the United States.
 There are many causes which have contributed toward sending the cy- clone of h~h prices ranging through the marke" places, but in my opinion they are largely artificial and l am sure did not originate in the paultry yard
 The pure food law has forced large quantities Of ancient stock, usually available in emergencies to be dump ed The Italian hand of the specula- tor casts its shadow over the wreck age and our faulty system of distr- button has snapped in it's weak place. All these forces of trade have com bined to bring about riot in the market places, but the hen has en- tered no conspiracy against the con sumer. As rule she has been doing her duty Perhaps she may have hes itated 10 perform the full service all lotted her by civilization. as we all sometimes do, but she has been on the iob all the time and no court can sentence her to lay more eggs or fix a price for her products.
 Our reckless system of distribution must stand the brunt of the blame for loss to the producer, but there are other causes wholly within the control of the producer. By proper housing and balancing the ratons of th6'hen. the egg producing season can be more evenly distributed throughout the en- tire year, and the importance of using cold storage plants minimized. The egg crop is one of the very few har- vests that can be made to exte1d throuehout the entire year Science and enterprise should follow closely in the wake of the receding stream of swollen prices and strengthen the weak places which have developed un- der the strain