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

what is inc attitude Oh INC lhii"'i
toward war problems and the extent TO
which he is doing his bit. The general
impression left upon me was the con-
coption (of those who sec the west
oily from a Pullman car window OF an
agrculturist class, prohtine largely
almost too largely it seemed 70 De
thought, from the exigencies OF the
times, and not altogether conscious OF
its bounden duty in the present Crisis
The initial mistake is in supposing
that farmers as a class think and act
alike. without those innumeraole eX-
ceptions which mark the trend oil
thought among any other class OF men
7. is true that the farmer IS largely
clannish, but it is equally true 'na'
s,cb clannishness has been princlpaily
forced upon him by that invisible wall
Of separation. erected by the city pred,
between those who reside in towns anu
those who live on the countryside
Moreover. the social contact OF 'he
ovoraoe farmer is generally with those
q, his own kind, and consequently inc
force of public opinion of such smal'
circles is all the more competing Dc
cause Of its circumscribed intensity
Farmers Think Alike
7, is easy to do and think as you
please in a great city, but not so easy
in a small village or in the society OIL
half q dozen farmhouses. Yet such IN
'euences are largely local. so that was
all tho more surprised at the genera
unanimity of opinion on the present
matters Of national import which ran
across among the farmers Of all sor's
and conditions in practically al! Sec
t;ons of the West and Southwest.
recite these things as mere nc ne.
tors Of fact. and not either as IN
uents or defences OF the farmers Ioi
Won can no more indict an entire Grass
than YOU can indict an entlre haIio1.
Moreover, have found that tne mus
illuminating thing IN the "orlu 10 ;e
get the other fellows point oil view :.
YOU wish to judge his cause arlght' az
is generally true that the farmers ulu
not take kindly to the minimum PIIIe
an wheat as fixed by the government
Nor. in like manner, possibly uiu .he
miners and makers of metals ait0-
ether relish the low prices estab-
iiebpd or their products by govern
mcnt fiat. But. If they did not, they
we're too wise and polite, or too patri-
otto. or both. to say anything about II;
Whereas the farmer has not hesl'ateu
TO voice his objections.
All the farmers with whom ! talked
and their name is legion--inslsted
that they were not unpatriotlc, put
merely misunderstood. They said that
tbev were perfectly willing to accept
Gladly the price of the principal thing
that they had to sell, provided similar
reductions were made in the prices of
commodities which they had to buy'
most of which had appreciated IN prlGe
far more proportionally than wheat
Looked for SO Wheat
Likewise. they were perfectly con
ecious that but for government regula-
ton the price of wheat would have
gone TO SO a bushel. For, by u curious
irony Of fate, the prices fixed as mini
mum Immediately became maximum
figure. The theory of reducing the
price Of things they bought to figures
corresponding TO those he received for
wheat involved maze of difficulties and
complexities, which it was difficult: TO
explain to them.
What the average man does not un-
derstand is that in northern ATTITUDES
wheat is the farmers principal cash
or money crop. He sells but very
small percentage of corn and cats
which he produces, most Of them being
Fed to livestock. Such fruit and vcge-
tables as he may raise are generally
for his own use, since producing these
for commercial purposes is generally
separate and distinct industry. Poul-
try products are usually the pin money
of the farmers wife, though dairy
products are ar increasing source of
revenue on the average farm.
Livestock Like Money
Livestock, of course. are just like
gold dollars to him, always meeting a
ready sale, but there is a limit beyond
which the sale of livestock cannot be
carried without depicting his capital
and lessening the fertility Of his farm
So the farmers story was that he had
rot shared fully. up TO this harvest, in
these war profits which were common
TO all branches of commercial business.
In the harvests prior to 1917, since the
beginning of the war, prices were not
/ so remunerative. and the middeman
took the largest toll Of profit.
Many farmers in the earlier stages
OF war were unable to hold their prod
ucts because of the obligations which
/ the poor harvests OF 1913 and 1914 en-
tailed. In the Southwest and Central
West there are numerous sections
where there have been only from one
to two generally good harvests in the
last five years. So when opportunity
frally knocked at his door but spare
chance was given him TO take full bene-
T ft Of his good fortune.
IL was easy enough, | was told, for
the commercial world TO be sacrificing
now, for they had made their pile,
while the farmer still had far TO go TO
equal .heir proportionate gain. lie was
rot unmndful Of the fact, | was as
sured, that the things he had to sell
were the necessities of life and should
be considered in a somewhat different
light from other commodities, even
though it was his misfortune that he
Lad only foodstuff 10 sell. So, much
wheat was and still is being held, but
/ in steadily decreasing measure.
The easing up Of the situation is due
TO the usual mixed motives. One of
them is the consciousness that the fine
outlook Of the domestic growing winter
wheat crop and the accumulation Of
surplus wheat in India, Argentina and
Australia seem to preclude any likeli-
hood Of higher prices in the near fut.
ure. Moreover, there is the unsnswer.
able argument of the price guaranteed