The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-08-02
HIGHER PRICES FOR
FARM PRODUCTS
DIR. Twitchell of Maine Says
It Is Only Salvation for
the Farmers
LABOR DEMANDS MAKE
I THEM NECESSARY
Farmers Cannot Get Farm Help When
All Other Lines of Employment Re
ouire Only Eight Hours a Day =
Can't Lift Yourself by Bootstraps.

MONMOUTH, Me, Aug DIR. George
NJ. Twitchell, an agricultural authority
who for years has lectured through the
New England states, says that the big
gest problem facing the thinking farm
err today is whether the farms can survive
under conditions now facing every own
er. When the members of the peace con-
gress. at the lead of American members,
fixed eight hours as the basis of days
work in the future, and then declared
for IAN adequate wage they placed the
farm owner, obliged to employ extra help,
at big disadvantage.
Labor has not received it's fair pro-
portion of income, from its output, IN
the past, if it does today; but that does
not relieve from responsibility to deal
fairly with all industries.
"One fact is certain, it is practical
impossibility to conduct two industries
alongside each other on widely different
basis If eight hours is the rule IN one
case, it inevitably viii be elsewhere. Thus
today, in our country towns, with car
penters and painters working only eight
hours, men in the hay fields are demand
| ing the same time and with this almost
double regular wages.
1T is impossible to carry on farm OPP
erations successfully on a short-hour plan
except it be recognized that cost of pro-
| duction will rise by leaps and bounds,
| and that no matter where they go, the
producer is entitled to cost plus a fair
profit. The day for talking economical
production has passed, not to return.
| Jever mind if this spells a big increase
in price for all farm products, it is only
necessary to place responsibility where it
| rightfully belongs. In my opinion the
present administration has officially been
against the farmer while processing great
mxiety to aid.
1T is true money, has been spent Law
ishly to multiply agencies set for the
higher education of farmers and to load
1 the farm with literature from the gov
eminent presses, but all the while The
anxiety to yield to every demand Of or
gained labor has but increased burdens
on producers of the food ef-sapporr NJ
man ever lifted hinssIsss-hya his~>sQ2t
straps, yet that is Just what officials fav'
been and are trying to do. Let RESPONSE
bility fall where it belongs and then e.
4 10 WoIh 10 Help COIIeCl eAlSllilS tOHui
tions.
; Evidence multiplies that increases il
cost of other products are not wholly I
be charged to increase in cost of manu-
facture, but to prohteering by all inter
ests
IF the government seeks to force tn
reduction of prices for food products
will certainly lead to still further reduC
tion in production. Whenever man, TO
any reason, ceases to strive to do hi
best, ambition ceases and all impetus fo
Improvement is lost The consciousness
: that one cannot hope to realize cost plu
T profit can only result i'll loss of desire t
o do
d AT present prices in the hay fielt
: the price of all meat and milk product
t must materially increase to cover e,
s penses. The government protects II
d wheat grower and crop acreage increase
$ tremendously, but by just so much dot
n that in corn fall off and present hiG
$ prices are to be expected Labor comp
e cations and cost have acted to great
is restrict acreage in corn in New En-
II land so that the dependence on the we
Is will be as great as ever.
e Before prices of food products ca
g be reduced, without positive injury
N agriculture prices of labor and hou
le must be changed BY no line of reaso
1t ing can there be justification for insistil
g on the farmer working - or II hou
Re while his neighbor receives big wages f
eight, and then having prices for VIII
" he may offer for sale fixed by the 90
l. eminent This fact alone will do more
sc discourage men from taking up farm wol
g than official uplift can overcome in ge
,r Grafton"