The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1917-11-16

ana the powder trusts, virtually go
free. So far the adjustments have
been rather nominal, with little
benefit TO the consumer. We have
watched these prices soar beyond
900, eco and Coz per cent, out Of
reach Of those who most need them
IN The work Of feeding the world
md producing the sincWs OF war,
IS we'll a. winning II, aud they
haven't come back yet.
A few years iartchr hack, when
some tariff concessions were
thought necessary. the man who
was selected 10 concode them was
This same underpaid working man
the man on the farm. n was his
products that were placed on the
free list.
When I speak Of the farmer as
The undergrad man, | am strictly
within the facts. In this year Of
comparatively high prices for all
kinds Of labor, n farm management
survey conducted by the Missouri
College Of Agriculture discovers
that the labor irsome Of tho aycr-
age farmer IN that state II Sl35 o
day.
The average skilled mechanic now
gets s. n day or better.
Carpenters at Camp Funston are
paid O. cents an hour, and more
than siO7 an hour for every hours
work overtime. Many OF these car
penters, skilled as we'll as unskilled.
are averaging about s1t5 a day.
And II takes at least as much
brains to be- nm average farmer as
. be a good carpenter. Nor does
The wage comparison against the
farmer as u class. end there.
am not stating these facts In a
aplious or iault-nnding spirit We
M recognize the times are abnor-
nal. These are trying times for
governments as well as peoples, But
[ confess | should like TO see lhings
evened up a little. In a war, sacri-
ices should be general. They
should be adjusted 90 M the means
II those who are Ia bear them. No
)no should be permitted 10 avoid
contributing his proper share. No
single industry aud lis workers
should he compelled In the name Of
patriotism to make all or most all
u the sacrifices,
| shall also confess that I think
ne should quit making the farmer
he goat In every emergency. No
NATIONAL policy would be more pro-
luctivo Of lasting good. with benc-
lts for everybody. than one insur-
ng a square deal for the American
farmer. the n Indispensable man.
With the prices Of everything the
farmer has 10 buy advancing, with
market mRnipuletors and p%rice-nN-
ing organizations paying him for
years as small o price as possible
for his products. then doubling their
value TO the consumer, with ~
years of uncertain crop seasons
against him-he somehow was able
To plug along until the war came
and promised him a reward, the
reward Of a lifetime In a fair
mind you | say fair-price for his
wheat crop. Aud this IN a year
when the available wheat supply
was the lowest In years and demand
the most urgent. II was the farm
er's turn at last
Did he get that rewardg lie did
not Speculation, which for once
was In his favor, was stopped and
wheat prices Immediately slumpcd
80 Ia ~ per cent, But even this
was moi enough. The very emcrg-
ehgy which offered the western
wheat-growcr his long-deferrcd re-
ward. also Threatened and still
threatens our national existence,
aud the wheat grower submitted
lpatriotically 10 having the price on
Ibis product fixed still lower, down
to 81 n bushel, less the dockage, a
price which on many furms this
year in the winter wheat belt, does
not really meet the cost OF pro-
duciion Wheat has cost our west