Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-12-18
Peoples Column
THE FARMERs POINT OF VIEW.

THE FARMERS POINT OF VIEW.
To the Editor Of THE EVENING JOUR- |
NAL:
In reply to the following editorial
which appeared in your valuable and
interesting paper Of December i2-
"The Farmer Feels II.
THE aggressiveness Of some Of the
labor organizations in taking advan-
tage Of the war situation to demand
high wages has added to the difficulty
Of the farmers in securing help to
plant. cultivate and harvest their crops.
The high wage paid in the city has
increased the drift Of labor in that
direction, with the result that farm
help is increasingly more dinlcult to
obtain and then at wages which leave
the agriculturist little margin Of profit
on any except the best paying crops.
Although the farmer is only indir-
Getty affected by the altitude and ac-
lions Of the labor unions. his interests
are certain 10 cause him TO give more
and more attention TO the relations -
tween employer and empl0ye in lines
" manufacturing, transportation and
other urban activities"
would say that so far as the far
mer is concerned he is not interested
IN labor organizations whatever, all he
wants is to get pay for what he raises
in proportion 10 what he has to buy
from manufacturers and corporations.
then he can compete with any Of them
for labor I am not speaking Of farmers
around Wilmington, but Of farmers
from Lower Delaware where they have
made q record this year especially Of
raising grain ans truck for city mar
kets, in order 20 meet the demands Of
the people within those cities and after
paying for fertilizer. and tools TO work
with, keeping up repairs and paying
for packages in which 20 send them
10 market, they found they did not
break even. as One-fOurth Of farmers
In Sussex County have sold out their
crops and stopped and will take their
places I'm the open market Of labor
In the city where they can at least
make enough money to break even
without investing any capital or talk
ing any risk Of losing their hard
earned money, as was the case in the
past year.
This Farmer Talk has become a joke.
for everyone from the government
down TO the consumer. even Harrington
II Dover, The Market Buster. The
Turkey Man and the Lord knows what,
win find out. if he has. not at present
learned lesson before This time next
year that he has something 10 learn
about handling porishable fruit and
truck. as there will be less ground
and therefore no glut on the market
and commission men will drive him
out Of market the same way they drove
The Farmers Protective Association out
~ business about five years ago in sea-
ford. Del.
The grand old man, p. T. Barnum.
once said, There is a sucker born
every minute" and / believe Barnum
when 7 look around Wilmington and
see the prices the good people Of this
city give up for what they get to eat.
and at the same time. I cannot help
but laugh at the Poor Farmer for
standing out for the price he receives
for what he grows on his little farm
while a gang OF Professional Gamblers
are sitting around the table reaching
in the chips as fast as the consumer
and the farmer anti-up into the Jack
Pot Easy Marks Is what the gamblers
call them. and yet they think they are
smart and would be offended II told
otherwise, but as Mr.. Barnum said
they are suckers 10 stand for &C.
Labor organizations VIII strike for
more money and shorter days, for they
never think Of how much they are
skinned out Of every year by a system
If Middle Men oh. no. they Just chip
IN like good fellows and when they lose
they get sore and want their employer
10 raise their pay, so they can go back
and chip In some more-Easy, isn't a.
But some day let us hope they will
see the daylight. The consumer as well
as farmer cooperate together for self
interest. then and not until then viii
either get relief, because the Middle
Man is the Leach that sucks the best
blood from the farmer and from the
city resident and can 90 around in his
Shoo-shoo Car, while the poor suckers
pay for the gasoline and the fellow
who steers the wheel.
Some day in the near future, I hope
10 see, the great Boulevard from down
the state into Wilmington and then
Boy. we will send our farm produce
TO Wilmington and give the people a
chance 10 buy at reasonable prices.
Very truly yours.
WILLIAM H. SAUNDERS.
Laurel, Del, Route No. B. Dec. f., 1917.
Genuine Patrick Mackfnaws, $50 to