Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1919-08-26
! HE H. c. L. AND THE FARM
BUREAUS


Farmers who go it independently
and yet are not satisfied with wheat
prices, farm labor, day light saving,
ETC., are stnading in their own light.
Organization in Farm Bureaus is be-
ing taken in the western farming
states as the logical approach to these
vexing problems. The following
shows what these Farm Bureaus are
seeking, and how they are going after
the same. Is there an individual
farmer in jefferson who could-speak
authoratively for more than himself?
Farmers Views Given.
The farmers position was stated
by j. r. Howard, president of the
Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, who
appeared as spokesman for the COM
mittee recently appointed at a confer
ence of farmers from Iowa, Nebraska,
Indiana, Ohio and Illinois. Denying
that the farmers were responsible for
present conditions, Mr.. Howard said ::
'sThe high cost of living is not due
to lack of desire or effort on the parts
Of the farmers to produce to the limit
of their physical ability. The far
mer has not struck, walked out or
otherwise slackened in production.
He has increased his effort, extended
his operations to the limit of physical
ability and financial credit and striv-
en- to feed the world, believing the
world would fairly and gladly recon-
pense him. Instead he finds those
who, in their eagerness to find an an
swer where there is none and to shun
the real facts of the situation, point
to him with scorn and malevolence,
saying Thou Art the Culprit.'
'The high cost of living is due to a
stagnation in production of manufac-
tured goods and prepared foodstuffs.
Every labor strike that shuts down
any plant engaged in the preparation
of foods or the making of clothing,
that shuts down a mine or mill adds
to the high cost of living.
Organized Labor Wanted.
"If capitalistic monopoly wants
enough food produced that it may be
Toasted, if organized labor wants
food produced that it may be fed, if
the donothing dawdlers want enough
food produced SO that they may occa-
sionally eat, let them stand forth now
at this time, when the farmer must
determine his 1920 food production
program, and declare by deeds-cut-
ting out of profteering in goods and
wages, going honestly to the business
of preparing and purveying the neces-
sites of life, going honestly to the
job of doing a full days work for a
full days Observation-Disclosures to
20 a.; Af
to do this now will be a boomerang
that ere the next cycle of the seasons
will effect condition of living now
undreamed Of"
Mr.. Howard said the high cost of
living was due to ''extravagant profits
of middlemen"; failure of American
people to practice even ordinary
economy in public and private life, I"
and industrial strikes. Expectation
of food and clothing, he said, was no
more a contributing cause than the
heavy exports of manufactured goods
and machinery of which the farmer
is heavy purchaser.
"An embargo on foodstuffs to bring
down the high cost of living" he said,
will be as demoralizing to America
agriculture as to the embargo placed
on foodstuffs was to French agricul-
ture in the time of Louis XIV"
This testimony was made before
the House and Senate Agricultural
Committee. Thousand of corn and
wheat belt farmers are represented
thereby. Why oppose these organi-
cations when they are taking the
stand for the issues on which you de-
mand relief?
C. A. HUGHES, County Agent.