Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1919-03-14
FARM PROFITS
WILL AID LOAN
Rural Business Men Are Well
Able to Take Up Share
Of Bonds.

More than ever before the Ameri-
can farmer finds himself in the posi-
ltion of comfort and prosperity which
is his just due. Lean years are for
him no longer.
Last year the average of farm
earnings broke all records. Six mill
llion farms in 1918 produced crops
worth $12,2 100000. This year it
Iis estimated that a greater wheat
acreage than ever will be shown.
NATURALLY, the farmer is making the
most Of his opportunities, and with
guaranteed wheat prices and higher
prices for everything he grows, the
outlook for him is most encouraging.
And Europe will furnish a market
doubtless for all he can grow, in
Guiding his fat hogs at $50 and his
steers at $3.50 per.
1t would be interesting, if possible,
to assemble comparative statements
of the Farmers bank accounts now
and five years ago, and, incidentally,
the list of mortgages that have been
cancelled. And it would be more in
teresting perhaps to- have a state
ment of the Liberty Bonds now in the
hands of these tillers of the soil.
For it has been charged that the
farmer as a buyer of Liberty Bonds
has cut a sorry figure. Which may
have been the case in spots, but not
generally.
And very soon the farmer will have
an opportunity to prove that he is
not without loyalty as well developed
as any mans. For another loan is
almost in sight, a loan that will draw
heavily upon us all.
Because. of his price guarantee Of
1926 a bushel, Uncle Sam stands to
lose from so to rs cents upon every
lbushel of wheat harvested next sea-
son. Having made this guarantee to
the farmer, he will make it good. That
is Uncle Sans way.
: But what is Mr.. Farmer going to
do for Uncle Sam in the next Liberty
Loan?
In every Liberty Loan to date the
farmer, as a class, has bought less
bonds than men in other prosperous
classes. He has. been able means
time to get more sugar, and coal, and
everything else upon which the gov
eminent put a restriction, than others
have.
OF course, there were exceptions to
this rule. There were whole COM
munities, whole counties, and in a
few instances, whole States, where
the farmer showed signal patriotism.
Among those States were Pennsylva-
MIA, New Jersey and Delaware.
The big question now, when he
stands to cash in at a % per cent
premium upon his wheat crop, is what
is he going to do next Liberty Loan
drive?
And it interests every one of us,
for in the finality we will pay the
bill. The chances are flour prices
will still Keep right where they are.
Europe is buying wheat right nov
from the big accumulations of the
last two or three years in Argentine
and Australia at something like $1.50
a bushel.
Without the government guarantee
the American FARMER WOulu De get
ting no more than this price now.
And if he is to save his face, if he
is to retain the respect of the Ameri-
can public, if he is to continue to be
regarded as the backbone of the ma
ton, he must do his part in this
next bond issue.
Some Liberty Loan officials are sug-
costing that the farmer should buy
a 500 bond for each 100 bushels of
wheat that he sells to the govern
ment. He has made the profit and
should have no hesitancy in taking
a high grade security in payment for
the difference between what the gov
,ernment gets and what he gets for his
wheat.