Norwich bulletin., 1917-09-28
NO EXCESS PROFITS FOR NEW ENGLAND
 FARMERS

Written Specially for The Bulletin.) New York city stock exchange firm has recently prepared a statement which is copied and indorsed by some of the New York city papers about l "excess prot4ts" of farmers in the past year.
 |, The firms contention is that, inas-
 much as the farmers haveNabout bust their backs the past year in obed-
 fence to the governments semi-hys- terical appeals to increase production by all means, and have actually pro- duced record breaking crops in an-
 swer to these appeals. they should l now be super taxed on the extra money these extra crops have brought in or are expected to bring in.
 The same firm intimates. if it does not directly assert, that farmers l taxes" And it does directly assert that ''the government has been giving them (the farmers) preferential treat ment above all other industries in the | country"
 | Because of which. the stock brokers assert, said government -coddled, tax l lodging, purse laden farmers have, in than $6,50O, ,00O, ,0OO."
 To support which last assertion. the | firm prints what it says were the aye and cotton crops for 1911, 1912 and 1913 and the "estimated" value of the same crops for 1917.
 A comparison of the alleged values values for this year shows an in | creased value of $6,574, 900 fer 1917.
 government crop estimates. Those boys down at Washington probably | mean well enough, but there are some where between three and four thous- 1r h in ,hnrr fov which they don't know.
 Their crop estimates are made up, mostly by men more familiar with desk work than with harvesting ma politics than in farm technique. At the best they are based on often distorted and always inadequate information. They are about as trustworthy as a and never had head.
 This idea that, by guessing at a mans income and ignoring his ex- penses, you can arrive at a correct statement of his bank account, is not one which commands high respect from the initiated.
 Notice. tso, if you please, that these alleged and so-calied ''excess profits" of 1917 farming are found in the four | crops of wheat, corn. oats and cotton. |
 Now. Connecticut farmers may, all 1 together, raise enough corn to feed a |
 
 New England winter. They get in 1 few more oats. They don't grow wheat, enough to furnish bread for a town | poor-house, nor do they raise one lint l, of cotton.
 These things are mainly or entirely the products of western and southern farms.
 Whether western and southern far mers have made any such crops as are "est1mated" or are going to get any such values as are asserted you and I don't know. Nor do the guesses ences of Wall street brokers afford basis for even an opinion. Both may be right. Either or both may be wrong. You Hips a cent and you takes
 Personally, l don't pretend to know much about western farming. Such western farmers as have met have seemed to me amply able, both by size of mouth and capacity of lungs. to take their cwn parts and hold them oven against a Tammany ward heeler
 Just at this minute I am interested |, in noting and asking you to note that the entire charge of "eXcess" profit taking lies. thus far, against western and southern farmers and against have small part or lot. The charge isn't proved. even against them. Against us of New England l 1t doesn't so much as look.
 My own particular branch of farm, ing is. as I have several times re- $ confined mainly to trucking ( garden crops and vegetables for a le small, local market. (
 During the past season. I have had just about my usual ratio of success i and failure. Giving heed last spring ( to the governments appeals for larger T production, I shook out my fringes a ln and ,Ior . planned and made plantings and sow C ngs which. with normal weather con- 2itions. would have just kept two ex | oerienced men steadily "On the job" S all season through. a
 To do this I had to just about dou- f ole my initial expenses-for fertiliZa- jon, soil-f1tting, seed. etc. and have q 1ad to bear just about double expense e 'or labor. This, though I by no means V loubled my acreage, by reason of the . increased prices of all the essentials aoted. Instead of having a normal season, ;Iich one must assume he plans a campaign, we had an utter y unprecedented season. Excessive 'ains and unreasonable cold when warmth and sunshine were needed: l | blazing and broiling drouths when moisture was in special demand: Rte pring frosts to kill tender shoots; 'arly fall freezes to destroy immature rops. = All of these things maoe extra work. m parted extra risl. and tended to cur afI production. Some of my crops l a ave been practical failures. On the Q ther hand some which long trembled n the balance. have turned out we'll; 1 wo or three unusually well. I make N 70 kick because some crops have fail d.; some always do, every season If | only knew. at plantiag time. which II II was going to be. I wouldn't plant mm hem. But I can't tell them. and so 2 ave to take the usual farmers. 1. e. tl chances. 8.
 I s; One third of my potatoes yielded ii ood tubers but in small quantity; tc ne-third produced nothing but un- alable scabs one-third are turning ut fine yield of fine potatoes-which c' re now beginning to rot!
 My sweet-corn yielded we'll Owing ) mishandling by the abnormal wea-