The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-10-31
THE GRANGE
Conducted b.
J.W. DARROW. Chatham. N. =.
Editor Of the Nc1U Ynrk State GTdn0s
ReUiesC
FARMERS PROBLEMS.

A writel From Northwestern stand-
point, Opposes the Idea That the
Farmer Causes the High Cost OF Liv-
inq-He Argues For Cooperation
/ Is the farmer to blame for the in
creased cost of living? II we were
TO Judge by current comment we would
no forced to conclude that the cost OF
living was entirely for farm products.
Manufactured farm products groceries.
clothing. fuel. lumber. rents. taxes.
| etc.. the things that have increased
and are increasing in price. are prac-
tically ignored. All criticism centers
IN farm products. in effect placing the
responsibility for the high cost OF lv-
inc 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 products with
the farm, and when he pays 90 cents
ner pound for butter. for which the
farmer received 20 or % cents. and 40
cents per dozen for eggs, for which
the farmer received Is or 20 cents. he
thinks the farmer is robbing him. He
does not stop to inquire how much
the farmer actually received for the
product.
The department of agriculture est
mates that for each dollar the con-
sumner pays for farm products 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 northwestern stand
point is that the nearer the farmer is
TO the consumer the less the margin
between and the farmer away the
greater the margin. We have very
limited home market; our products are
almost all of the class Of which we
produce 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 transpOrta-
ton and handling being greatest. our
farmers receive smaller proportion.
so it is reasonable estimate that the
farmers of the Dakotas do not receive
third Of the price the consumer
pays.
We ship the raw products in the most
expensive way. so that transportation
is much more costly than need be. We
ship our wheat and other cereals usual
ly without cleaning, paying the freight
on the screenings in addition to giving
~ ivy01 U
manufacturing the wheat into -four
and feeding the byproduct 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
finishing them at home or in the state.
We ship our live stock out of the state
on foot instead of curing and packing
in the state. About one-half of our
cream is shipped out of the state to be
manufactured in Minnesota, Iowa and
Nebraska instead Of being cooperative
ly manufactured at home. In addition
to the profits lost by not manufacturing
at home. we pay the freight on and
donate thousands of tons of buttermilk
to feed some one else's hogs in other
states. We feed our corn to our live
stock without first extracting the alco-
hol, which is of more value for fuel,
light and power than the corn is to
feed, the feeding value remaining in
the byproduct. This is clear loss.
equivalent to the present value Of our
corn crop. Regardless of the fact that
the average 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 ourselves instead of holding for the
consumptive demand. which might be
done by cooperation.
The farm value is based by the de-
partment Of agriculture on the average
for the year instead Of the season when
the farmers sell. 1t is plain when ana
lyzed that the farmer is not to blame
for the increased cost of living. He
concentrates on production and pro-
duces so much that considerable por-
ton has to go abroad to find market |
or be wasted at home for want of de-
mand, as was the case with potatoes
last year. He pays too little attention
to markets. distribution and sale
Those who take care Of that end of |
farming reap handsome profits. There
is the weak point that needs strength
ening. The successful trusts have
shown us how to do it. We must by |
cooperation concentrate our farm prod
ucts into food products and follow to
the consumer. 81. L. LOUCKS.
Community Progress.