Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-02-25

a. an address said. The farmer
ought as Gar as possible. to have as
surlnccs on four points: Availability
of necessary labor, supply Of seed
aud feriiljZ,r at reasonable prices.
reasonable banking accommodations
uut.l the harvest season. and fair
and profitable return for his crops"
THIS Is san" and seasonable putting
~ IN" farmers case.
Last spring the Government urged
every body 40 plant a garden. then
"a ged IA" farmer To increase his crop
acreage. ana left him to assume all
risks II Weld, market and price. That
Is the Government stimulated the
farmers customers TO produce their
own vegetation, thus decreasing the
farmers market. then urged the farm
81 To increase the output Of his farm
and take AS chances as to yield, mar
k"t ana price.
The Government promises the build
rr Of cautonmcnt buildings and Of
ships. tho producers Of arms. NUM-
tons and other necessities Of war
profit hut urges the farmer to pro-
duco food for war needs and leaves
HIM TO assume all the risks of weather,
yield. cost. market and price.
The grocer. all merchants. put a
reasonable profit ON the price of their
commodities. But the farmer must
take for mis- produce the market price
fixed. without regard to the cost Of
production. chiefly on the basis of
supply ana demand. II will take much
urging on such a basis after the ex-
pcriencc of the past year, to induce
tn" farmer to increase the acreage Of
his crops and he denied the right to
fiN "A price on his produce which shall
include the actual cost of production
and a rcas 1nablc profit.
The Government should do three
things If i expects TO stimulate farm
crs 10 produce increased crops:
LIST. Through it's experts issue n
circular stating what crops certain
zones or territory are best suited to
produce
End. State how much Of such crops
can safely hc produced within each
2ouc So as not To- ovcrStock the reach
9hi" markets of that zone.
ard determine the average cost Of
production in zone Of a bushel of
potatoes. wheat, oats, corn or any
produce. The cost of production could
not be determined until harvest time
since the yield is the uncertain factor
Tho work. fertilizer and seed cost can
easily he computed. but the cost for
these items for an acre must be dis
trihutod among the number of bushels
raised to determine the bushel cost and
80 fix the reasonable selling price. The
cost for an acre If potatoes for seed
labor and fertilizer would be the same
whether the yield was SO or 300 bush
els The average cost for bushel of
potatoes based on the average cost Of
seed. labor. fertilizer and the average
yield per acre plus reasonable profit
should be fixed hy the government as
tho price 20 hc paid to the farmer
And in Ike manner the price to the
farmer ~ all farm produce should he
annually fixed by the Government
From the Very nature Of the case the
farmers themselves cannot do this.
Every community interest would
profit by such plan. The farmer
directed as to the kind and quantity
az crops - produce. assured of n
r'asoHahl" return for his toll would
10 Inundated 70 produce as largely as
rcarh3hle ma kct needs would war
rant. and would annually he in a po-
Sition 10 SPEND much larger sums than
az present for necessities and for many
Of the Injuries of life as we'll Such
government action towards the farmer
would benefit every healthy business
interest of the country. and would
rlac" the farmer on the same business
basis as that Of other producers and
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES League Record.
tn" government might as consist
'u'ly urge citizens. of cities and towns,
Engaged in non war industries to go
"l' ANA engage in farming on all the
abandoned or unoccupied farms as to
''ntiuue is present attitude. 1t is no
worse for others to gamble their
money, laAor and families chances.
than FOR nv farmer to do so-and the
government assumes that experts are
reeded in all the war industries bat
food raising, and that ANYBODY can
do that
But right here in the monumental
injustice Of it all-the government
fixes tho maximum profit for all deal
ers in the product OF the farm, but
permits these same dealers to fix the
farmers prices regardless of cost to
produce them.
The farmer does not figure his
cost, add fair profit" and put his
goods on the market at that figure:
hts returns are arbitrarily fixed by
dealers. who also fix the prices he
must pay for everything
feed. clothing. fertilizer. poison. and
seed which he does not raise
Last year the writer and other
farmers. to our knowledge. paid more
than 100 per cent. profit in some cases
20 dealers In poisons. blue vitriol, etc.
because We HAD to have them or lose
all the results OF our patriotic plant
ing"
II the government wishes to en-
bark in government ownership. let it
take over the food production. cut out