Norwich bulletin., 1918-02-01
HERE ARE HIGHER RECORDS THAN THOSE
 @esS K se sa OF MONEY s5ae! 2ss
OF MONEY.

IONEI
 laid that burden on the israelites, cen turies ago, they have been synonyms of cruelty during all the ages suc- ceeding.
 It seems that, last year, despite all our efforts, at increased production, we really accomplished an insufficient output. We are called on to observe wheatless days, and beefless days, and porkless days and heatless days be- cause, in spite of our strenuous ex- ertions, we didn't supply enough wheat and beef. etc.
 The reason we didn't produce more iast year was just because we hadn't the labor to do it with.
 . Now, with 210,000 of our last years helpers withdrawn. from our reach, we are being admonished by those of high position that we must do more the coming year than we did then!
 Nor. is the lack of labor our only obstacle. s .i. J have recently read a Washington dispatch telling how the department of agriculture. has bought some ni trate of soda in .Chili for sale to American farmers lat cost Said cost has been fixed at $75.50 per ton, at the port of entry, to which must be added state tax fees, freight charges, etc. And all must be paid in cash on the nail "t '}.'r I have. just received my 1918 seed catalogues. For one variety, of veg etables which I raise in some quan-. tity I have usually paid 50 cents a pound for the seed. It is now quoted at 30 cents per quarter pound. An other, which has usually run about 45 cents pound, is now offered at $2.25. Others vary from two to three times above past prices.' One, which 1 have bought for SITS pound, is now priced at $s00
 Yet have now in my cellar a con- siderable bushelage of that very seeds production, which I cannot sell at an increase of fifty per cent. above pre- war prices. The seed costs me about 400 per cent. more than if used, I have. to- pay 200 per cent, more for the labor involved in producing it. Yet I cannot sell the crop for an ad- vance of fifty per cent. People say they simply can't afford it and will go without. rather. than pay.
 Not far from me lives farmer who has had in his employment two lab orers, foreign n-born,1Polanders, I am told. They have both served notice on him that they will not work for him another year unless he pays them $l00 month, furnishes houses free, with fuel and garden privileges. and a quart of milk, each, per day.
 .Tis last years. total receipts from his farm, of all sorts; were only about one-half of what these men now de- mand in money wages. He is going understand, to give up general farm l ing and restrict himself to the rais- I ing of such crops as he can care for, single-handed, i'll the hope that he l may thus be able to get enough food for his family to carry through the i winter. Beyond that, he will not at tempt to go. Right in my own town, .tons and l tons of hay were left uncut, last sum- ] mer. for the simple reason that, even at SS and S9 a day for man and team help could not be secured to harvest 1 it. Already we are told that short l age of hay is developing in the cities How much more are we going to be 1 able to save, this coming su1nme CT l with nelp even scarcer than last veal and wages even higher?
 l ! know one farmer who is. earefu man in all his management, and . 1 pretty shrewd forecaster of the future l He has already been all over his farm 1 and made all his crop plans for th< 1 coming year He has canvassed the | prices he will have to pay for labol and for seeds and for fertilizers. H. has made the best estimates his ex
 perience and judgment permit as tt production and probable prices Whici he can obtain.
 He finds that, if he raises enough t,
 pay his help and his taxes he vii 1 have to play in better than the aver. age luck. But he has been an eco
 nomical and a forehanded man in tn, pasS He has saved some littl, money, perhaps a couple of thousand
 securities. He hopes that the return, from this small capital will tide hin over f.-f
 1 At any rate he is going ahead, plan ming to do his usual work and effec ! his usual production, without hope o
 return on his farm investment or o
 wages for his own personal labor simply as a war duty. It is to be hi 1 share of the sacrifice; his contribution
 to the cause of freedom and of .just;c
 and Of the worlds safety.
 There are scores of men, usuall
 rich or at least well-to-do, who ar
 today serving the government at
 nominal salary of s1 a year. Al
 honor to them. They deserve praise
 Also. I notice that most of them ar
 getting it.
 The farmer. who is not often ricl
 and who must usually get his dolla
 off the farm before he can use it, i really and substantially up agains
 the very same proposition.
 He has got to work for nothing, i
 many cases,-and then be blamed b
 thousands of grumpy consumers @
 the ultimate cause of their high cos
 Of living!
 II Brethren, it is NOT a cheerful ou,
 look. Nor is it made one whit mol
 cheerful by those wer-meaning pro I fessional optimists who are trying 1
 paint the situation with rose color. II We shall be wiser to face the trut as 1t is; to recognize the facts as the {, are;. to give over hopes of profit ( even adequate payment; and, as rel blooded Americans full to the bra with the spirit of IT'S and of 1s6 !. fprepare to do our work and stand o,