The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1919-08-22
THE FARMERS
GIVE WARNING
Senators Join in Statement
to the Country
EXPENSES MUCH GREATER
Agitation Likely To Cut Production
Assertion Is Made That Farmers
Also Are Victims OF
n. C. L.

Washington.-To what extent the
American farmer is profiteering at the
expense of the long-suffering consum-
er; to what extent this producer is re-
sponsdble for prevailing economic con-
ditions, and to what extent the Gov
eminent may safely legislate against
his interests are questions which will
press for an answer before the cost
OF living problem is finally worked
out.
ALI this has been anticipated, if not
by the individual farmer himself, at
least by those Senators who represent
him in Washington. And in their
solicitude for the welfare of the great
body of agriculturists, they have unit
ed in a warning to Congress, to the
President and to all others concerned
against any movement that will ham
string the farmer or reduce his earn
ings below the present margins.
This warning was forthcoming in
the form of rather extended state
ment, signed by score or more of
Senators, called into conference by
the Committee ON Agriculture of the
Senate. These legislators, fearful lest
the present agitation work against the
very source of all food supplies in the
country and fearful lest the reaction
tend to cut down the volume of food
stuffs produced, have volunteered the
assurance that the farmer is not get
ting more than is coming to him and
in some instances is getting far less
than he is entitled to.
1t seems reasonably certain, there
fore, that the farmer, although he is
more prosperous than he has ever
been before, is buying more automo-
biles, building finer houses and has
money in the bank, is not responsible
for all or the major part of the ills to
which the consumer is heir just now.
He is getting somewhat extravagant
price for his products, but he is paying
heavily for his labor, for his fertilizer,
for his farm machinery, for his fenc-
ing and for every other thing that he
must buy. Many of the farmers even
contend that they are the victims Of
the cost OF living level, not the origina-
tors of it.
Whatever may be the real facts
about the matter, the men who till the
soil, battle with insects and plant dis
eases and gamble upon the weather.
can be sure of one thing. They have
powerful friends in Congress. They
were powerful enough, for instance, to
pass daylight saving repeater twice
in a single session, measure which
helped nobody in the country but the
farmers. They probably will be pow
erful enough to kill any part of any
program against which the farmers as
class array themselves. In their
statement the friends of the farmer in
the Senate took the urban population
of the country into their confidence
asking that no injustice be done the
country people. They said, among
other things:
1.-THE people Of the farms are deeply
concerned in the unrest manifest now
in the serious protests against the high
price of the necessities of life. While
entirely sympathetic with the hard
ships which present prices cause the
people of the city, the farmers indi-
vidually and through their organiza-
lions are no less concerned with their
own economic situation and with the
question of the production Of the raw
materials of food and clothing. There
is danger that city interests, by reason
of their predominance in number and
organization, may take unwise steps
without understanding the almost self
evident result OF such unreasoning acts
as might ruin the farmer and seriously
reduce farm production in the i'm
mediate future.