Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-11-25
FARMER DEFENDED
IN GRANGE BRIEF
Denies He Is to Blame for the
Present High Cost
of Living.
MAKING ONLY FAIR PROFIT

The brief for the farmer" absolving
the agriculturists of the country from
blame for the high cost of living. and
attributing the rising prices OF farm
products to poor crops and the increas-
ing cost of what the farmer has to
buy, was issued to the country as the
last work of the ten-day golden jubilee
convention of the National Grange, at
the closing session last night The
grange yesterday adopted resolution
condemninS embargoes on all products
of the soil.
Following is the statement, drafted
by Especial committee:
"Inmany countries with cheap labor
and .high priced lands the yield per
acre exceeds that of the United States
The American farmer. with cheap lands
ana high priced labor. produces many
times as much per man as does the
farmer Of any country in the world.
"i'he high price of farm products is
due to several causes Some OF the
more important ones are: The climatic
conditions of this country during the
past year were perhaps one of the lead
ing causes OF crop shortage. A long,
cold. wet spring, followed by very hot
dry weather, extending over a larger
area of the country than is usually
the case. reduced acreage and yleio 10
a more marked degree than has neen
the case for any previous year FOR
example the wheat in the northwest
was-a crop failure: the corn crop was
in many sections a partial failure, as
well as the potato and veSetaole crops.
Farmer Pays High Prices.
ut must be borne in mind that the
high prices have struck the farmer in
whatever he buys, as much as it has
the city consumer. Farm labor is
scarcer and higher than ever before In
this country. Everything the farmer
buys, whether machinery, fertilizer.
fencing, clothing or the necessaries OF
life, have increased in price by leaps
and bounds This is also true of taxa
ton, the increase being. in many sec
lions, so per cent or more during the
last five years.
In former days everything the farm
er needed was produced on his farm or
in his immediate neighborhood- This
is all changed. and the farmer of today
is the largest consumer OF manufac-
tured products, even, in too many cases.
"Our city cousins have changed their
method of living quite as much as We
have. Instead of buying in quantities.
as formerly. they live in cramped
quarters, with a kitchenette six by
eight, and buy in very small quantities.
or live out of cartons and cans and in
many cases with little regard to home
economics. With this can be coupled
expensive methods of distribution,
which is not the fault of the farmer.
High Prices to Continue.
THE fact that nearly one-half of the
civilized world has left the field of
production and entered upon the work
of destruction has increased the de-
mand for all kinds of products and
goods. We believe that prices will be
high for several years. especially for
manufactured goods. As to the products
of the farm. the fixing of prices is
mainly by the law of supply and de-
mand in the markets of the world
The farmer completes with the cheap
est paid labor on earth. When he sells
some of his products. as he did only
Few years ago. at less than cost he
gets no redress. no reduction in taxes
nor in anything he buys. and it would
be very unfair that when he is getting
fair price for some of his products to
Place an embargo on what he produces
u low CT ti.t price ana
duce the supply. So that an embargo
on wheat and other cereals would in
the long run mean decreased acreage.
But il embargoes are to be placed to
help the situation 1t should be on
manufactured goods. particularly NUM-
lions OF war. This would give the
farmer more laborers and reduce the
prices of what he buys.
We believe that in some instances
production has been restricted by
trusts and monoplies. This is particu-
larly true of the meat situation as
many of the villages. towns and cities
IN many sections are not permitted to
kill their own meats because OF the
~ unfair competition from the packing
interests. We further believe that while
the crops have been short. yet there is
plenty for all in this country and some
10 sell But at the same time economy
should be practiced along all lines The
high prices of potatoes and vegetables
this year does not mean that the same
price Will prevail. next year. b. taking
ten-year average the producer is not
getting living price. and under pres
fair price. That at present prices some
articles. such as milk. taking into ac-
count its food value. is still cheap.
Other Causes of High Prices.
Other causes might be enumerated
thus:
The alarming increase of insect and
fungus pests
Gambling in food products. which
should be prohibited
There should be more storage houses
in the country and under the control of
the farmers themselves
The duplication in delivery service
In the village. town and city, also the
lack OF marketing facilities in some
towns and cities.
The American farmer is farming. as