Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1917-02-07
FLORA.

weather since, he must have been dis
pleased or Just kind o peeved like"
The infant daughter Of Fred and
Hattie KNAPP is sick with the whoop-
ing cough.
j. c. Edgington sawed wood for An
thony Peterson, last Tuesday.
The sewing circle ladies met with
Mrs. Matt Schildgen last Thursday
and all report very fine time
Mrs w E. Garthwaite was sick in
bed one day last week, with lagrippe.
A great many others in this vicinity
both old and young have been having
the same affection
Some of our hog fanciers contem-
plate taking in the hog show at Madi-
son this week.
H. ]. Starrett has been circulating
Prof. Bray's nomination papers and
has met with fattering success.
Sabina Stockert, one Of the supervis-
ing teachers, visited the Budworth and
Flora schools last Thursday and Fri
day
A large crowd of the young people
from this neighborhood attended the
dance at Beetown Saturday night.
Alfred Critchlow, formerly of this
place, but now living at Brodtville, had
the misfortune to lose his house and
most of the contents by fire last Sat
urday afternoon.
Mr. and Mrs. Ervie Edwards spent
last Wednesday afternoon at the Will
Garthwaite home, as also did L. E.
Wilkerson and Bernie Taylor.
Lester Snyder and wife, George
VOgt and wife returned from their visa.
in the Kickapoo valley, last Monday
Anton Vogt was a business caller
in Lancaster last Monday.
Thursday L. E. Wilkerson went to
Bloomington to help Elmer Wager and
family move out on the James Addison
farm, which Elmer has rented for the
coming three years. Mr.. Wager has
been in the creamery business for the
last few years in Bloomington, but re
Gently sold his creamery to G. ]. Ell
lis Of Mt Hope. We hope his new ven
ture proves a success, for we are
glad to welcome them back to the soil.
The idea seems to prevail among the
great majority of people that on ac-
count of the prevailing high prices
that the farmers are so overburdened
with money that he is looked upon as
& money king. [ am perfectly willing
to admit that prices of ali form prod
ucts is higher than ever known, but
everything the farmer has to buy is
CORRESPONDENCE high machinery es-
pecially-fOr instance, a few years
back we could buy a grain binder for
$115. This year a binder of the same
kind will cost about $3.50 If there is
no further advance in prices, which
is very doubtful, Judging from the
large advances made twice in the last
year. The prices of machinery, We
hicles and all farm utensils are the
same the year around, just the same
for binders at harvest time as in the
dead of winter. The big demand has
nothing to do with the price On the
other hand, when the receipts of live
stock are heavy the packers use that
as an excuse to hammer down the
prices, for we'll they know that not
outstanding the fact that even if
there IS shortage of crops, that the
largest share Of the crop is market at
about the same time of the year. Then
when receipts get very light, up goes
the price again and packers make good
use OF the fact that there is a short
age 70 unload their storage meat at
double the price II was when it was
put in storage. 1t is always stored
when the price is low, because it is
then that there is SO much fresh meat
that the local trade can't consume it
all. Then when the receipts are light
the local trade consumes a very large
share of it while fresh and cOnse-
quently a very large share is packed
when high prices prevail, so it is easy
TO see who benefits most by the large
fluctuations in the markets. On ac-
count Of the crops of grain to be fed
and the weather conditions for feeding
the stock, almost all of the stock is
marketed within a period of about
three months, which fact the great
packers use to an undue advantage.
OF course don't want it understood
that we could get along without the
large packing plants. Of course, they
are needed, and some good things can
be said in their favor such as always
paying cash for the produce of the
farmer, but they exact altogether too
much for their share Of the transaction
They take undue advantage of the
consumer, as we'll as the producer.
What applies to the meat packers APP
plies equally to the butter and cheese
storage plants and also eggs. The
storage barons use the same tactics
i'll all their dealings So many people
look at the situation in a manner to-
tally unfair to the farmer that 1
thought few words from one of the
t1llers OF the soil might help some of
the short-sighted and mistaken peo-
pie to view the situation in the true
1lA