East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-03-09
FARMERS OF COUNTRY
PROFIT BECAUSE OF
THE WAR IN EUROPE
INDIANA TILLER OF THE SOIL
GIVES ECONOMIC REASONS
IN INTERVIEW.
Man Who Has Struggled 20 Achieve
Success AS n Farmer, Is Deep
Student of Agriculture and Incl
dentalIy State Representative ut
Nations Capital.
BY BURTON X. sTANDIsH.
(Wrltten for the United Press.)

WASHINGTON, March 9.-Never
since the day Adam was 80 summar-
lily elected from the Garden OF Ed
en- has there been generation OF
farmers 80 favored as the farmers
of America today. And one OF the
reasons is the present war in Europe
SO says Ralph w. Moss. a prosper
Gus farmer of Center township, Clay
county. Indiana.
Why pick Mr.. Moss out to ask.
Well, Mr.. Moss In addition to being
a prosperous farmer, is a student OF
agriculture on a broad scale and a
member Of congress. II is rather
the regular thing to ask him about
such things. For instance. when
President Wilson was picking a com
mission to study agricultural condi-
tions in Europe the first man he
picked was Representative Moss. MT
Moss spent all the time he could be-
tween congress sessions In examining
first hand their methods OF doins
things in the Old Country. Some oil
his conclusions appear in the follow
ing summarlzation OF an Interview
had with him a few days ago.
"The American nation has worship
ped AT the shrine OF the manufacture
er since the close OF the civil war;
locause this industry has had the
power to reward its votaries with
abundant wealth"
Pause. II you like. while reassure
YOU that these are his exact words
To make Il clear in your mind. pic
ture n man on whom life's struggle
has left its mark. has left him n Sc
rluus student. just rs serl5ns and Just
as much a student as he was In the
days when he was working his way
through Purdue University.
High wages. short hours, and
large dividends have become associat
ed with the American furnace anc
workshop. During the same period
the American farmer has been mar
who was compelled to work ions
hours. sell his products for low pri
ces. pay low wages TO his labor anC
even deny his family the luxuries o.
life.
political economists have repeat
| edly pointed out the tremendous al
vantage which would accrue to oul
nation II II were possible TO increas'
the output OF our farms to any dc
gree near their maximum capacity
our growth in national wealth ant
prosperity would be prodigious.
such an increase in yield has beer
followed by a corresponding decreas
in price. So universally has thi
been tire that strong societies hav
been organized among farmers Y
limit their output in order to ad
vance the price.
Last July, the price OF wheat rel
to 70 cents in Indiana when II De
came known that our yield was to D
the largest on record. on my farm
we fed wheat to the pigs because J
was the cheapest feed available. /
has been estimated by the depart
ment OF Agriculture that the farmer
sold 80 per cent OF the crop at al
average price OF 9S cents per bushel
This sounds like romance now whei
we are threatened with a bread Fam
Inc and 1t Is reasonable to predlc
90 wheat before the new crop cal
be harvested.
'T have thus briefly referred u
the past in order to rivet attention oi
the change which Is coming. TIT
European war is fraught with sucl
momentous consequence to our ma
ton as to appear incredulous to TIT
average citizen. New riches are Z
be added to our nation as suddenl!
as good fortune came to Alladin. Th'
present generation OF farmers Is 4
be the most favored since Adam wa
driven from the garden Of Eden.
AT the outbreak OF the war, WI
were in a splendid state OF prepared
ness to meet an extra demand for ag
rlcultural products at higher price
For a generation we had been bus!
improving our roads and transporta
ton facilities; we had likewise i'm
proved our livestock, seed grains ant
| agricultural tools. We have stead
lily extended our arabic area b!
draining swamps. clearing foresti
and irrigatlng the desert. Our school
and colleges have been adding t
our source OF knowledge by diffusinl
scientific information concerning al
phases OF agricultural production
Indeed It seems as II the hand o
fate which has so favored the desti
nies OF the nation was designed!
preparing us to meet our present un
paralleled opportunities to garner II
tbo preot harvest of the worlds rich