Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-11-30
FARM FRONTIERS AND THE HIGH
COST OF LIVING.

tOST OF LIVING.
We do not reed to 20 outside of our
| own section to understand the high cost
| of living so far as farm products are
concerned although some people are in
clined to lay everything to the European
: war or to criminal conspiracy on the part
! of somebody. When there is a shortage
IN any crop, the price of the product
| naturally Increases. one does not need
to study political economy or economies
TO understand the relation between supply
and demand and prices in cases of this
| character
When the crop OF potatoes IN Vermont
| is short consumers expect to pay higher
! prices as a matter of course, unless the
conditions resulting in shortage are
purely local and a surplus IT. nearby
regions can make it good easily, in which
| case the unusual demand is soon met
During cold and backward season ex-
tending over the country generally. all
Kinds ~ crops are poor, and it follows
that high prices will generally prevail
The National Grange was on safe
ground therefore, when it Indignantly
repudiatcd the idea that farmers could
be held responsible for the high prices
nov commended BY farm yroducts in
general. The Grange looks at the ,;itua-
ton from a broad point OF view Among
the important Gauges Of high prices it
mentions are the following: 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 larger
area of country than is usually the case,
reduced acreage and yield TO a more
marked degree than has been the case
for any previous year For example. the
wheat in the Northwest was a crop fail
ure; the corn crop was in many sections
a partial failure, as well as the potato !
and vegetable crops
at 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, the necesearies IF life, has
increased m price by leaps and bounds
This is Also true Of taxation, the in
crease being in many sections 30 pc,
cent or more during the last five years "
1t is strange how ready some people |
are to declare an embargo when farm
products are concerned. although they |
can see the products Of steel and cloth
ing and other Industries reach the highest |
attitudes without thought ~ stopping
supplies from going abroad Congressman /
Fitzgerald of Brooklyn proposes to in
troduce measure in the House next |
month to prevent the export Of farm
products under certain conditions
That announcement is not so strange
until it is coupled with another state.
ment to the effect that President Will |
son is ready to back the Fitzgerald en-
should appear to be feasible and !
popular"
There are many sides to this proposition |
to stop food products from leaving the
United States. In the first place. the
farmers Of this country can not see why |
their products should be prevented from
find live, III. oil,
the products of muniton factories. If the
Wilson administration backs the Fitz-
gerald embargo proposition, it will he
likely to hear no uncertain voice from
the agricultural dsirc
ON the other hand, the intimation comes
from London that any attempt on the part
of the government of the United States to
stop food products from going from this
country to England and other allied
powers would professionally be the
signal for energetic action on the part
Of the British government. England is
already worrying over tie prospects OF
a food shortage AS a res ait Of the sink
in" of many steamships. + in add-
ton 20 shortage Of Shipping facilities
England should be cut If from the
noccssaries OF ltfo received from the
United States tho situation would he ser
ious indeed
Another phase ~ the International side
of the problem appears in connection with
the explanation given for the embargo