The Raymer enterprise., 1919-01-23
A few FACTS
ABOUT FARMING
lcontined from page onel

particular paper FeleTru TO- buL 10
call attention TO the baseless and
misleading statements continuously
made in newspapers and magazines
througout the country. These are
serving no legitimate purpose and
are doing unmeasured injury 10 ag-
riculture in general, and to an agri-
cultural state, like Nebraska in par
ticular
As il to give credit to these mis-
eading statements. the public press
Is filled with fake news items con-
eernine agriculture. and especially In
regard to yields and prices. May |
not give an illustration: There has
recently appeared in nearly every
paper OF this country a statement,
alleged to have been made by the
federal department of agriculture.
giving the value OF farm products of
the various states Nor 1917. For
Iowa these were valued AT 1880
600. .000. or nearly half a billion more
than the total value Of all the inn
proyements, machinery and livestock
on all the farms In Iowa-S2.150
more than the total value OF these
items on the average Iowa farm, as
shown by Iowa state census 1915.
The value Of Nebraska farm products
We're figures on similar basis.
When analyzed 1t would appear.
according to this statement, that on
all OF fhe approximately 2O0,0U
farms in Iowa. the average prodae-
tion per farm was for that one year
over $1,000, | think il would be
very difficult 10 pursuade any intel
llgent Iowa farmer that ever in any
one year did the Iowa farms produce
such an amount. think il would be
still harder to convince him that any
one township in any year ever pro-
duced beyond G5 per cent OF guch an
average
Nebraska is more nearly exclu-
siyely agricultural than any state
in the union. The permanent grow tn
and prosperity OF no other two cittes
in the world are more dependent on
agriculture for their growth and de
yelopment than Omaha and Lincoln
In common with all other states in
the corn belt. We have for many
years. been constantly and rapidly
losing in farm population. This de-
crease in nubers Of those in agricul-
tural pursuits is a menace 70 the
well-being of our state and cities
The first effect OF that false pub
licity referred to above is 70 returd
and defeat any national legislation
helpful to agriculture; the second
effect of these exaggerated agures
viii be to discourage the right sort
of emigration into this state because
the prospective emigrant. If iG.elu-
gent and worth while, viii KNOW
that these statements are grossly ex-
aggerated, and will be skeptical CON
eerning anything he may hear.
There are an abundance OF favorable
facts concerning Nebraska, that
would. ii published. be helpful to
the state in every way The mis-
statements are quite the reverse.
Every gool eli ael 1f Nebrasau
should be tealD Is # thl atc's rep
utation, be anA9ps to maintain Il,
q; i reay 20 d. ArUd ili rtahis 10 con
sideration both in and out OF con
gress The question as to whether
organized labor shall be permitted
to continue to increase the wages III
its members, and nt the same timc
decrease its output by shortening
hours and othtf'ttie =anu at tha
same time prevaht o:her 'gen and
women from dong tha WORK which
they refuse 10 do. is a question vital
to our farmers They are. as a class.
one OF the largest purchasers ot la
Dor in our land.