The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1915-11-25


FAR1(.RB kUlll0 y U11gl
1 Hon. Esxmars = : = 1li1g 16aAsd
pnder Fst conditia.as
Not ia yssrs If ever have
the FaCk6FBE gwen more brutal
4 exhibition of power than same
n weeks ako, when, within - Apurs
they pounded down the prise 81
hogs over $1.OO per hundred
That present hog prices are eas'
4 ily $500 per hundred lower than
conditions warrant there u not
the slightest question. The far
mers Of Missouri annually market
approximately 4, 600 00O hogs and
at an average weight Of 800
pounds per hog this means loss
to the farmers Of the state of
something like $4,000, 900 and
this in view Of the fact that we
are in the midst of the greatest ex-
port demand for American meats
we have known III many years.
During the eight months follow
ing the outbreak Of the European
war we exported nearly $10O, O0O,-
600 worth more American meat
products than we did during the
eight months preceding it-and
yet, despite this fact, thousands of
Corn Belt farmers lost money in
their feeding operations last VIM
ter while for the coming winter
the prospect is even darker.
4 doubt whether one farmer in
a hundred realizes the seriousness
Of the present deplorable state Of
affairs Or its true significance for
the future. Here we are in the
midst aof the greatest trade bal
ances IN the history Of the Nation
50 huge in fact that New York.
rather than London promises to
become the future financial CEN
ter of the World. Many of our
steel plants, automobile manufac-
turers and other suppliers Of war
are literally rolling in
new found wealth and as re-
suit the wild speculation in war
stocks in Wall Street during the |
last several months has kept hum
dreds of clerks working day and
night. Mind you, don t say that |
this is true of industrial enter
prises generally but it is true of
those who are dealing in war sup
plies--and yet, large as the for
eign orders have been for guns,
ammunition, automobiles. auto
trucks and other war staples, it is
the meat products, wheat, cotton
and horses of the American far
mcEswhich are. responsible for the
lionVs share OF the enormous trade
balances which are without pre-
sedent in our history-and yet.
Notwithstanding tins fact, the far
ner is in the midst of positively
'uinOus market conditions. In
,ther words, so helpless is the far
ner to protect himself against !
he industrial vampires who set {
N arbitrary price on what he pro-
luces that while Others are reap 4
ng untold millions of profit out i
# the European situation the far I
ner is being compelled to furnish I
he things which keep body and $
oul together for the poor devils I
Il the foreign trenches at ire
ss-while the big meat t
ackers, determined to make the a
lost Of their opportunity, are p
ammering prices with more bru- Il
nj abandon than ever before in s.
heir history. p
In the meantiine.-tlle, consumer IL
qually helpless at the other end b
the line, pays the same old a
rice-and hence ON the one hand 81
e have high cost Of living" "
lille upon the other We have a b,
ate of affairs which is driving Il
lousands Of bright country boys NJ
i'd girls to the already over II
divided cities, increasing farm "
ortgages and tenants and ii
'reading everywhere a condition fo
Agricultural despair which is tn
st taking the heart out of farm tn
'e and hanging like black W
ladow across the threshold of ca
cry farm home in the land. fl
Nor are these conspirators con- ire
at with merely robbing the far iar
er and consumer on beef, pork In
id mutton but in every little bF
oss roads hamlet in this and 9th in
states they set the price ON ev- 81
y dozen eggs. chickens or tur- M
- which the farmers wife b