The Raymer enterprise., 1919-01-23
ore than 80 per cent OF all serious


must be strictly upon the basis of
merit. The man, who because OF
lack of intelligence or ambition. pro-
duces only half or a low quality
crop of wheat. receives only half re-
turns. There is no way to pnt a
trademark upon the frmer's wheat.
He, must. with all his commodities,
compete in the worlds markets.
Any tendency to restrict the farmers
output is fatal to his interests; 80
per cent of all he buys. from a ging-
ham dress to steam thresher. is Ia
Dor in some form or another. and
when he is obliged to pay for that
labor including every article he buys
on a basis of 81 to SIS for eight hours
work to men, no more intelligent or
capable than himself he cannot meet
the competition. Besides all this.
chiefly at the dictates Of organized
labor. and always in the name Of la
Dor. our national laws were passed
and are vigorously enforced. pronib-
iting our farmers from buying what
they need in the worlds markets
the markets in which the prices Of
their commodities are fixed
Agriculture on Charity Basis
1t was right and proper that our
soldiers and the aroops of our allies
should be furnished an abundance
of food We entered this war for
the sake OF humanity. and the same
reason that justified our entering
the war demands that. to the limit
of its ability, our government should
help to feed all the needy people of
every province made desolate by
the war. But this is national char
ity. and should be done by all our
people. regardless Of class each in
dividual paying his share in propor-
ton to his means. the same as II pays
taxes for any other purpose.
| However, the course adopted by
the party in power followed by the
writer's above referred to- IL to make
agriculture tat least that part o. 1t
north OF the Mason-Dixon linel an
eleemosynary institution that must
bear the slaves share OF these ma
tional burdens. Is this American
democracy?
The editorial further says, Every
one knows that it doesn't cost the
farmer. who has the lani, labor and
machinery, anywhere near s22o to
raise a bnshel of wheat To begin
With. the farmer has not been re-
ceiving s22O for wheat for the last
two years; the price to the farmer
OF the average farm has b, N less
than 81. nearer $1.S0 t,shel
have Leen farmer all my lfe,
land have had opportuni..i enjoyed
| bj =. nr observation al slIdy Of
OF At,ric0.tural conditions in many
states during the last forty years,
and | do not know, nor do bslIc"e,
that any other man knows. even ap-
proximately, what 1t costs the aver
age farmer to produce bushel Of
wheat. There are probably between
three and four thousand counties in
this country in which wheat can he
raised No two counties are identi-
cal In soil. topography, climatic and
marketing conditions. There has.
never been authentic facts compiled
to show with anything like degree
OF accuracy the number OF acres
sown or the number OF acres destroy
ed by winters cold and summers
drouth, the chinch bugs. the Hessian
fly and other pests. Without these
facts. any conclusions reached are
| WOIsc tHdH NottHitos hHN' "io ms
leading.
Finding Cost Of Production
My own experience, with ten wheat
crops In this state and Illinois, has
been that the wheat sold did not
bring enough to pay for the seed and
labor OF men and teams. Some were
good--all beyond human control,
were too far above normal-but the
crops destroyed by frost, drouth and
insects were too great to leave a
profit. may have been much less
fortunate than most farmers but my
wheat was selected seed, sown on
the best OF soil thoroughly prepared.
and 1t was properly harvested. II
was marketed at near top prices.
much of II held three years to take
advantage OF market conditions. ]
hired my labor and know just what
ii cost. Why should the farm owner
or farm renter receive less for his
labor than men of equal or less abil-
hy in shops, factories or on rail
roads? Yet, almost every scientific