The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1917-05-24

ing Will explain my reason.
The poor farmer is getting so much
condemnation over the high cost OF
living that the editor of the Live Wire
Sparks lays off his grubbing long
enough to say word in behalf of the
farmers of the lower valley. ..
With wheat at five cents pound
and other grain almost as high, the
chicken raiser finds his grain ration
costing him over four cents per pound
The agricultural colleges tell us il
takes 80 pounds of grain to feed a
chicken a year. At four cents pei
pound, this amounts to $3.50 per year
Of course Kennewick hens lay more
eggs than other hens, yet it is very
doubtful if they average ten dozen
eggs per year, which means that the
eggs cost the farmer in feed alone
something over 36 cents per dozen,
not to mention his labor and invest
ment, and he gets but 30 cents.
| A similar condition prevails in the
dairy business. With hay and mill
feed both double the price of a year
ago, we find butter fat is bringing but
5000 more. ......
And yet the cry goes up that the
farmer is getting wealthy and he is
numerically censured for selling off
his hens and cows. In most cases he
has to do it for they are losing him
money faster than he can stand.
"Then it is the wheat farmer who is
to blame," you say. No, it is not.
With wheat at cents per pound, we
find the grower got on an average OF
but two cents per pound, and the spec.
ulator got the balance. There is
plenty Of wheat in the country to meet
our needs, and if the government had
adopted the National Marketing pro-
gram which the grange has been urg-
ing for years past, manipulation would
be impossible and not only the farm
ers would be making more money
than they are today, but also the con-
sumers' bread, butter, eggs, and prac-
tically all edibles would be reduced
nearly half price.
For years the Wall Street gamblers,
the meat barons and the Chicago
grain spectators have maintained
lobies in Washington to fight the
Grange Farm Reform Program, until
they have brought the nation to ser.
ious situation, and today, there are
such strong influences at work in con-
gress against the governments TAX
ing hand, that it is doubtful if any
lasting good results can be obtained
unless the people demand reform in
unmistakeable terms.
The State Grange meets at Wenat-
chez in annual session the first week
in June, and it is desired that each
subordinate grange prepare recon-
mendations at this time so that they
can all be sifted out and definite
plan determined upon for the $4,000
grange members in this state to sup
port. It is hoped therefore, that a
full attendance is out at the next
meeting, Saturday night, May Goth.
Lecturer Ford has arranged a special
program including light refreshments.
But this is not matter of interest
to grange members alone. Every pa
triotic citizen should endeavor to do
all he can toward relieving this sit
uation which is fast becoming unbear-
able. The most practical method at
hand now is for everyone to drop a
card to his representative in congress
asking him to use every effort to
promote an effective and lasting Ma
tional Marketing Measure. Our rep
resentative from this distict is w. l..
LaFollette and our senator's are Miles
Poindexter and Wesley L. oJnes.
Should the people all over the coun-
try unite in making such demand,
congress would wake up to the fact
that the people were at last aroused
and demanded relief and we would get
relief without further procrastination.
But it will require a flood of mail of
unprecedented proportions to drown
such measure out of the committee
rooms where it is annually buried.
But especially let the grange mem
bers come out and help, for it will be
the grange that must hit the hardest
ticks and every member must be alive