The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-11-27
IT'S UNFAIR TO BLAME THE
FARMER FOR THE HIGH
PRICES OF FARM PRO-
DUCTS.

1HSlC SCSliio w w SAN"'o
amoung city concumers an unjust
fled feeling of antagonism toward
the producers of farm products.
This is as unfortunate as it is un-
justified. 1t is unjustified because
the farmer is not receiving an exces-
sive profit on those things the high
prices of which having forth the
greatest complaint, and it is unwise
because any pressure which forces
prices of necessities below the cost
of production plus fair profit means
the lessening of production to an ex-
tent that will in turn eventually
send prices sky-high, through the
operation of the memorable law of
supply and demand.
For instance, consumers are COM
planning bitterly of the high price OF
meats, and observing the high prices
at which live meat-producing an
imals are selling conclude that the
farmer is making excessive profits,
which cause the high prices paid by
consumers.
These conclusions are usually er-
roneous. The high prices of meats
are due to the high price of every
thing contributing to livestock pro-
duction. For illustration, about 0O
per cent of the total cost of produc-
ing hogs is for the feed they con-
sumo. Also 80 to IS per cent OF all
the corn produced in this country is
normally fed to livestock. Corn is
fed largely to hogs, and if corn is
high-priced hogs must be relatively
about as high, or production will de-
crease and the prices will in time re-
act under the influence of supply and
demand. Corn is high-prlced now
because the decreased supplies and
increased demand for all food grams
have caused prices to increase, and
corn react to the general trend to-
ward higher prices.
But to show how totally unfair
# is for the consumer to blame the
farmer for the present high price
of meats it is only necessary to con-
slider the present relative prices OF
corn and hogs. If hogs were to sell
for the normal ratio between corn
and i,ogs, live hogs would be selling
for something like s23 or S24 a
hundred pounds; but they are ac-
tually only selling for around slo a
hundred pounds. In other words
while normally 100 pounds Of live
hogs sells for the price of 11.65 bu-
shells ofcorn, 100 pounds of hogs is
now selling for the price between
seven and eight bushels of corn.
If the consumers continue their
war against the high price OF pork
products and keep hogs down to the
present ratio between corn and hogs
there can only be one result. The
farmer will continue to decrease his
production, which is already about
10 per cent below normal, until the
supply will be so far below the de-
mand that nothing but artificial con-
troll or interference will prevent
prices going far higher than they
are at present. The Government
will not force the farmers to produce
hogs at a loss,f it is not to the IN
terest Of the whole Nation that farm
ers produce hogs at loss. Consum-
ers must accept high prices during
war times, but all speculation and
undue profits must be taken out OF
food production so that the consun,-
ers will not have to pay more than IS
necessary to bring about the required
production.
1t is impossible to quickly change
the eating habits of a nation, and
any attempt to greatly curtail the
use of a staple article of our diet
will fail. We must prevent waste,
practice economy in all things, when
it does not lower efficiency, and ac-
cept prices high enough to encour-
age the producer to meet our de-
~,,nds ond those of our allies. In