The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1913-09-19
The High Cost Of Living
From the Viewpoint Of the Farmer.
Address Of Dr. Joseph France Meeting Of Cecil Farm
ers' Club, Held on July 80, 1913, at the Home Of
Martin T. Thompson, Near Woodlawn

to the club to-day, it seemed 70 me
that It might be both interesting and
nrofifable for us to consider certain
asnects of the much discussed ques-
t;nn If the "high cost of living" from
The standpoint of the farmer, VINO
produces the food-stuffs OF the coun-
try. a. 10
cussion Of the problem of the high
cost Of living, the farmer has Deen
compelled to endure censure as I'M
inst AZ it has been severe. The Amer
lean farmer has been arraigned Pc
fore the bar Of public opinion and mas
been charged with heinous crimes.
m addition to the more material M
;,,ries. which he has patiently borne,
he has recently been called upon TO
suffer abuse and insult. The rich
trusts and the powerful labor unions
can afford to employ the best OF coun-
sci, while the farmer, has been almost
without a defender. With no case
against him, he has nevertheless stood
dumb before his accusers.
In columns of newspaper print the
farmer has been urged to greater pro-
auction. in order that he might break
the price of his own products, many
"a which he now sells at loss.
BANKERS have formed organizations
IL teach the farmer how to till the
soil. Railroad officials have gone IN
I'd exhaustive dissertations to show
the farmer how, by intensive farming,
he could increase railroad earnings.
Editorial columns have mourned
because corn fodder IN the WesC -
sr,cfnod nf 6elnQ
converted into beef-steak, to- be solo,
- Ioss- 10 the editors, for their ta-
hias Women's clubs, in the city,
t, .Sn, sar;onslv debated the advisable
IN of 4 law to make it murder Tor
farmer to kill an unfatted cali, M
stead az keeping it two years, at
lnss. until it should grow into prime
beef for the good of the whole COM
munity. Il. o,.
ventured the suggestion that one way
ri increase the production of the TAR
mer would be to increase his desire
for Injuries, saying, Production SUI
fers from the simple character OF ms
needs.n This writer practically says
that the farmer is so dull and stupid
as not to appreciate the good ana
beautiful things in life, and, so SHIFT
Lass sa ~ that he win not strive for them.
Al leading New York daily paper IN
natnlant editorial is not so gener-
ous for it speaks of the misanthropy
"a fhe farmer, in not producing more
food. and closes with the threat that
s. Il the farmer would not produce more
q the country had better find some one
who could. Another editorial In our
hast financial publication, said not
long since. that the farmer enjoying
such exceptional profits has been act
inc the part of the hog and demand
mo cuts in duties on eastern manu-
featured goods he consumes, ana
acain. II has been said Of the farmer,
ale has fattened even beyond the
snec;al interests (the trusts about
which the politicians pirate 50 voclfer-
We are constantly reading about
The fabulous wealth and the enormous
profits Of those engaged in agricui-
tnre. For any statement, that the
profits of agriculture are now excess
sive. or. that the farmers OF our
country are growing rich, at the ex-
pense of the other members OF the
community. there is not the slightest
Foundation in fact. On the contrary,
even q superficial study will convince
the most skeptical, the farmer is the
one who has been kept from his just
share in that marvellous wealth, which
bv tireless industry, by the sweat OF
his brow, through long days, not
measured by eight hour laws, ne mas
taken from the soil. lt~is, OF course,
not the gross value OF the crops,
which determines whether the farmer
is prospecting or not, but rather tne
net profit over and above the cost OF
production of the crops. In spite OF
this very obvious fact it IS nevertne,
less the rule for writer's, on financial
questions, to speak only OF the gross
value of the crop as indicating the
earnings, and, hence, the purchasing
power of the farmer.
Decline of Agriculture.
It is needless to say, that of all
forms of human activity, that OF the
production of food-stuffs is the most
necessary and important. There can
he no prosperity in any nation, Tor
long. apart from agricultural pros
neritv. and thatlnation is surely DOOM
Cd. within the borders of which, agrl-
culture does not flourish. In this
country the prosperity of the farmer
has been, for long, taken for granted.
False prophets have lulled this nation
into sense Of security. We have
read with complacency the vast fig
ures which measure our annual crops.
Recently a few of our far-seeing
citizens have looked into the facts and
It has become apparent to them that
we are, in this country, facing an
alarming situation. We are beginning
to see that the wonderful prosperity
Of this country during the years pass
ed. has been purchased only at the
expense of our soil, and that there has
taken place startling decrease in the
wealth of this country, as represented
by the virgin soil and the almost linn
itless natural resources which our
forefafhers found on this continent,
much OF which natural wealth we