Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-12-27
T armer RadfOrd
Defends the Hen.

aFnNdEu mas nau ilOTe leNpil9 oiiS4Ao
.er subjects during the past few week
han perhaps at any time during hel
ale on the Western hemisphere, anc
est the historian of the nation
,oultry yard do her an injustice il
ecording the insurrection, | want to
make a few observations in her be
nalf.
The Consumer Not the Whole Thing
The consumer should not be taken
90 seriously; he is always complain
ng. Many times he has called King
cotton a tyrant, has rebelled against
he steer and the hog, and in mutt
nous moods, he has refused to eat
read, but his seditions do not las
ong. Responding to the vail of the
consumer, the Federal Department OF
Justice investigated the hen as I'M
tremendously as though she We're
Wall Street millionaire; the house
wife has rallied at her and passed
resolutions questioning her business
integrity and the press mas carried
sensational stories accusing her ma
jesty of disloyalty to her subjects,
until the friends eff the hen have criec
out God Save the Queen" When
he consumer raises howl, the entire
machinery of government is set in
motion and the power of the press
PUSHES to the rescue. The consumer
5 great talker, but he is not the
Whole thing. and what he has to say
hould be taken with grain of salt.
Whose OK is Gored?
If patriotism and justice were the
motives that actuated the investiga-
ions and resolutions which the hen
has been subjected te on account of
the high price of eggs, why is it the
low price of eggs has never received
he attention of these public spirited
citizens? Should not the farm house
wife feel as deeply outraged when she
$ compelled to sell eggs at a low
price as the citw housewife when she
S compelled to pay a high price? Is
il not a question of whose OK is gored2
1t would be interesting to know
when and where the hen entered into
an agreement with the consumer to
furnish eggs on demand at prices fixed
~ the city housewife. Can anyone
size be arraigned before the highest
tribunal in the land and Inundated
by inguisitorial proceedings and her
conduct subjected to review by mere
consumers whose knowledge of the
joultry business has been acquired at
he breakfast table,
During all this Juror the hen has
stood upon her constitutional rights,
cackling merrily as she laid fifty mil
lion eggs per day and producing
wealth appreximating more than
half billion dollars per annum. The
arm value of the poultry products
produced per annum in the United
States is equal to the annual gold
production of the world. The yearly
egg production alone is double the
value of the annual petroleum supply
of the nation and is equal to the value
of the iron ore production of the
United States.
The Hen Not at Fault.
There are many causes which have
contributed towards sending the
cyclone of high prices raging through
the market place, but in my opinion
they are largely artificial and ! am
sure did not originate in the poultry
yard.
The pure food law has forced large
quantities of ancient stock, usually
available in emergencies, to be
dumped The italian hand of the
Spectator casts its shadow over the
wreckage and our faulty system of
distribution has snapped in its weak
places. All these forces Of trade have
combined to bring about riot in the
market places but the hen has entered
no conspiracy against the consumer.
AS "a rule she has been doing her duty.
Perhaps she may have hesitated to
perform the full service allotted her
by civilization, as we all sometimes
do, but she has been on the job all the
time and no court can sentence her to
lay more eggs or fix a price for her
products.
Where the Farmer Fails.
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 con-
troll of the producer. By proper hous-
ing and balancing the rations of the
hen, the egg producing season can be
more evenly distributed throughout
the entire year, and the Importance
of using cold storage plants mini
mized. The egg crop is one of the
very few harvests that can be made
to extend throughout the entire year.
Science and enterprise should follow
closely in the wake of the receding
stream of swollen prices and strength
en- the weak places which have de-
veloped under the strain.
Oh You MiddIeman!
The farmer did not get the money.
1t may be that some of the farmers
living near the large cities who sold
their eggs TO the consumer direct,
prof1ted by the increase, but in the
community where 1 farm, the peddler
who bought our eggs never paid US
more than 20 cents per dozen and
from such Investigations as | have
been able to make, I believe % cents
was the high water mark in average
farm prices of any one day throughout
the entire United States, although the
press reports from some of the large
cities quoted a retail price ranging
from so cents to $1.00 per dozen. The
Of nd