The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-10-01
ENEMY COUNTRIES
CROP PRODUCTION
ia
1t Is Being Maintained by
Rigid Government
Supervision
CHURNS TAKEN FROM
GERMAN FARMERS
SO That the Milk Supply Will Be More
Dependable-Five Facts That the
People of the United States Must
Realize in Connection With Food.

Realize IN connection With Food.
MONTPELIER, Oct Through in
formation secured by the United States
food administration, it is now possible to
describe with reasonable accuracy the ex
tent to which German farmers, and those
in other enemy countries, are maintain
| ing production and theirSattitude toward
government regulations
There is abundant evidence of rigid
official supervision which to the Ameri
can mind would seem ntolerable. For
instance, the Bayarian state office has
1 adopted severe measures to maintain the
| milk supply even to the extent of taking
/ farmers churns and butter casks from
them to prevent butter making on farms.
i As a result, milk deliveries in some dis
1 trcts have increased tenfold and are
now practically as large as in peace times,
| though of course at the expense of butter
production.
Naturally this was not accomplished
without some friction, but considering
the great number of food regulations af
fecting producers, of which this instance
is typical. opposition has been surprising
" small.
In Hungary. fat and eggs are very
scarce. but i'll midsummer vegetables were
plentiful and were in the markets in
large quantities. Peas were 80 abundant
that instead of costing "A cents per pound,
the maximum price, they were sold at
/ Is cents The exact condition of Eunga-
rvs poultry industry cannot be clearly
defined. but il is known that exports of
eggs from the country were stopped by
the food bureau in order that it might
not be said of agrarian Hungary that she
had no eggs in June. The price OF eggs
is reported at from ii To rs cents apiece
and they We're commonly sold in pairs
rather than by the dozen.
Farmers are now accust toned to the
policy (which has prevailed in most
European countries since the beginning of
the war OF government requisitioning.
All bread grains and fodder are taken
from the farmers at harvest time. leav-
ing them only sufficient amounts for
feeding their own families and live stock
and for seed purposes in the year 10
come.
This system has sometimes resulted
as for instance in Russia. in peasants
withholding and hiding for their own use
large quantities. of their produce But
eheiiF III NtbAANA IbNSAo hhN ie'a 'tiV'' "
large degree have come forward willing.
ly and have given up their produce with
ont hesitation. In ono district in Bull
garia, following an extensive campaign
in which food needs were pointed out
as much as 100000 pounds of wheat and
$4,000 pounds of corn were received il
one day rs voluntary contributions TIL,
. population as a whole has given its sur
: plus stocks willingly and the requisitior
, system has had most satisfactory re
suits. Reouisitioning thus amounts t,
;, a system Of comprehensive purchasing Il
; meet government needs, rather than al
q indication of boarding or resistance b,
farmers to their government
As further means of increasing thei
agricultural resources, the Central power
have stimulated production and assiste,
farmers in various ways The Agraria'
bank of Bulgaria, acting in accordanc
= with the policy of the ministry of agri
culture has distributed some hundre
i, trncklcads of agricultural implement,
!, The ministry of Agriculture has also de
: cided to open in Old Bulgaria 30 stu
: farms. To expedite the 1918 harvest
:, military agricuItursts were inStructe
= to take all measures necessary. The svS
tenn of labor organization included III
- employment of the able bodied town res
- dents between the ages of II and go VIII
:, were not engaged on their own behalf
y Farmers are believed to have benefte
; to considerable degree by the system
y attic though drastic government measure
!. Here in the United States. let us hop
y we shall never be ibiect to the diseinlr
to which German farmers submit. for
- Is inconsistent with our democratic idea
But we shol,ld realize that:
81 l. Farmers in the enemy countries Al
he supporting fhe;r governments.
~ 2 Certain kinds Of food are still fai
ne ly abundant.
- , The Central powers are using ever
= possible means TO maintain agricultur
!, production.
- 4. Isolated vases of food shortage a
- not necessarily typical Of large arcaq
). Reports that farmers are slacke
', q. ing in their efforts bear the earmarks
- German propaganda.
When we realize that the peasants
the enemy countries are patient und
very rigid regulations and are willing
give up food which they have work
~ hard to PRODUCE in order that thur armi
ut may be fed, il should make us undcrstal