Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-05-15
"cheap Food and the Farmers"

"Cheap Food and the Farmers"
Relow we are giving an editorial ut
terance from the Youths Companion,
which we believe will appeal To the
common sense and fairness Of Journal
readers:
Readers have asked The Companion
why farmers should raise a full crop
when they can get as much money for
short one, and why they should pro-
vide cheap food merely that city peo
rle may spend more on luxuries?
cneap food releases money. But
would the city man spend il on luxu-
riese He might spend it 10 the profit
OF the farmer on the more abundant
ard nourishing food that he often sore
~ needs. lie might spend ii to the
profit of the country for the better ed
ueation OF his children; he might even
put 1t in the savings bank, where 1t
Wau,fi help to make interest rates low
-.ameng other people. for the farmer
He would certainly be better of; better
| in body, better in mind. better con-
tent.
Moreover, in the long .In, the saving
in the cost of food would almost GER
tainlv be divided between the man In
the city and the man on the farnS
What the farmer buys is made by men
in cities and towns, and the cost of
their food is part of the price. If thai
,ost can ba reduced, the cost Of the
things they make can be reduced also.
If connection is free, that Will GER
tainly result in lower prices To the
farmer. We all of us need to remember
that the purchasing power of the dol
| lar is not fixed. High prices may mean
! merely that more money is used in q
| transaction than was the case former
| ". and that the transaction itself is the
same How does dollar wheat advan-
tage the farmer if the high price rep
resents not profit but the mere apliity
TO meet higher expenses?
| OF course a short crop often brings
the farmers as class just as much as
bumper" crop. and that, of course,
| seems to make the great crop o. 10
advantage To the farmer. But he VIII
| gel truer measure of his success II
he compares his receipts net With ms
| own receipts in the past, but with tae
| receipts of his competitors of the cur
rent season, Surely, il his own crop is
/ bigger. higher in quality, or better
/ chosen than the crops of his neighhors.
he will receive more Of it. He shonid
think not of what the farmers as a
class receive. but of what he receives
himself. and Judge his success accord
ingly
Large crops are Imperative II he
world keep his market. ON another
page is "a noteworthy article on Ameri'
can agricultural conditions by high
authority--the director of the census
There il appears clearly that unless
the farmer raises larger crops, ne VII
soon have to share his natural market
| with foreigners.
| He can keep it himself, and more
over. he can get satisfactory returns
| even for large crops. Let nm iooi
ahout him. Manufacturing labor ant
capital is organized; transportation Ia
bor and capital is organized; distrinut'
ing labor and capital is organized. Ag
ricultural labor and capital is not. u
oranization helps in all those indus
,r;as why should ii not help in the IN
dnstrv If farming? 1t will; the expert
anee If ireland and still more or Den
narl has proved 1t. Turn back in Tn
4 Comma MON and read again the artlcl
ON cooperatton by Sir Horace Plunket'
or better still, read his book on Amen
can farming conditions. In ireland am
| i'm Denmark, organization has iessene
the farmers expenses and increased
his receipts. 1t has reduced his ex
penses through the common owner
ship of expensive machinery, throug
buying agents who enable the farme
| to get his seeds and fertilizer at Whoie
sale rates, and through banking soei
, cites that put him as borrower on
mar with other business men II ma
increased his receipts through selilh
agencies that enable him TO take TO
: himself a larger portion OF the reta
| price. and through expert ADVISERS Wh
enable him TO improve his product an
thus obtain top prices.
, Moreover, organization gives politica
! | power, which an intelligent and pros
porous farming class could WELD to TN
great advantage of itself and of tn
nation.
: Imports from Brazil to the Unite