New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-26

icy TO conserve what he has already
made. the farmer knows perfectly we'll
that the government is taking long
chances, all because of him, and that
great crop of wheat in this country
heNt year, as now seems probable,
spells lower prices. if nature be allowed
to take her course.
Farmer No Bond Investor
heard much comment in Boston and
New York as 10 the farmer having
failed to subscribe TO his proportion o.
Liberty bonds. From past experience
am skeptical of general impressions
and general statements. since they are
often founded on imperfect and incom-
plete figures and statistics. Especially
Is this true Of general statement
which seeks to comprehend the entire
activities and trend Of thought among
large class of people, for obviously
accurate knowledge i'm such matter Is
most difficult to be had
Be that as il may, it is probably true
that the statement has some founda-
ton in fact, hut the causes may be
partly those of other than the lack oil
a realization and perception Of the sit
uation and of the consequent necessity
of every class of citizens doing their
utmost TO win the war. The farmer,
as a rule, knows but little Of invest
ments in stocks. bonds and such Sc
curities. and has in the main mueh
suspicion concerning them. Conse-
uuently. government loans are largely
new and need careful and detailed e%-
Such purchases as he makes
for investment are usually livestock
and land. especially land. For he OF
all men, has the most Unsuitable land
hunger. since he of all men realizes It's
intrinsic and farreaching value.
His assets are consequently rarely
LIQUID, and in proportion 10 ms ac-
tual wealth he seldom has much cash
or money, far less. in fact, than any
man of the same wealth in commercial
life. H. has no regular income IN
general. save az he sells his produce
and this, Of course, cannot go on con-
Az a class, he probably mas
more money in bank than he has ever
had before, hut il would not seem much |
actually compared with what the Dusi-
ness man Of equal means carries on
balance
II was difficult, practically impos-
sible, to campaign and solicit him LOT
Liberty Loan bonds, as was done IN
large citlca. nor was there the etmos-
phcre Of influence and enthusiasm sur /
rounding him as in the great centres
The great success OF the last loan
came in the closing days, and as the .
result of cumulative effort, whereas
one or two visits at most were what
the farmers received in most sections.
He has never been accustomed TO CIV
ing after the fashion of the city man,
and the same thing is true to large
extent Of the dweller in the small
town.
May Buy Next Time
Now, there are more Liberty loans
to be foated, and probably much CIV
ing necessary. The way and means TO
induce a special class of men to do
their full share in such matters is that
of enlightenment and persistent edu-
cation, remembering in the last analy-
sis that all species of humanity are
sinpularly much alike. One peculiar
phase Of the problems of the farmer is
not to be found in any other productive
line, and complexities everything he
does and all his relations to the rest
of the people. lie is the only producer
in the country who has nothing what
ever to say about the prices he receives
for his products. Nor has his cost OF
production any necessary relation
whatever TO his selling prices. The
prices Of his products are determined
practically by competition. and the ia
cilities. or lack of them, of marketing.
The price of wheat in normal times
is set by nationwide and worldwide
competition, regardless of whether 1t
is grown on the rich fields of Central
Illinois or the semi-arid dry-farmin'
lands of the Great Plains states. Tn
price of cotton is practically the sam,
all over the cotton belt, whether
"makes" a bale and half an acre IN
Southwestern Missouri or less than half
bale in the dry sections of the South
west.
He gets what competition dictates for
his products, or else holds--if he can
for a possibly better market. IL he be
situated some distance from a railroad
station he cannot often afford to raise
more foodstuffs than enough for his
own use. unless it can be fed TO live
stock. He has tried combinations in
the past to boost prices, but he has
never got very far, as his combinations
were not even nationwide. II he should
ever combine effectively we would be
up against one Of the most serious
crises in our history.
Making Unusual Profits
He is making unusual profits to-
day, and the high prices of his products
seriously add to the high cost OF ,iv-
ing, but he knows full well in normal
times that he will get back TO a diff
ferent situation when the returns on
his labor will depend entirely on his
skill and intelligence, and that these
will at certain intervals be set at
naught by unfavorable weather. For
his whole life is "A gamble with the
weather, and in the Great Plains states
the odds are often against him.
That he has done so we'll so far is
due not alone TO war prices. but to
his steady improvement in intelligent
methods Of farming. The thing that
most sticks in his craw is that of the
price the consumer pays for agrlcul-
tural products a large proportion abides
with the middleman and never gets by
him. There lies the real problem that
of distribution which shall be more
economical and more efficient. For the
farmer can in the main continue TO sell
his products on "A basis of competition,
especially IA there seems no feasible
way of changing the plan. But if the
consumer is 10 be benefited there must
be less difference between the price he
pays and the price the farmer receives
One general statement, that the
farmer is protiting greatly by the in
creased price of his land. is most mis-
leading, since 1t has no more practical
bearing thar the appreciation in price
Of the land on which a manufacturing