New-York tribune., 1919-05-18
The Confession of a Profteer
With the Comment of a Fellou Farmer

she get help? Don't ask foolish questions.
not servants enough for the overworked
town ladies, why should plain country
women butt in? They outbid her every
time with short hours and high wages
Returns and Expenses
With the help Of boy for eight or ten
months of the year our income exceeds
$4,000 per year, not counting our own
-four, meat, milk, eggs butter, fruits and
vegetables-no small amount. This is no.
thing to boast Of, and yet when under
our handicaps you did il out Of none
too willing soil you will know that you
have been somewhere and seen some
thing" Where does it all 60 to- Oh,
yes, we know to cent. 1t pays the in
terest, taxes, insurance. labor, fertilizers,
repairs, necessary supplies and the many
other expenses Of the farm, but very little
to the proprietors. Not cent goes for
tobacco or liquors, and no movies, no musi-
cal instruments, no fivver with its accom-
panying gasolene and repairs and no sea-
shore excursions. One $3.50 suit of clothes
has done service for good for seven years,
anu tne rest OIL tne Time II is plue Qenl1nS
and brogans for mine. Not that ! OBJ
ject to the uniform or feel that I dis
grace it, but what city man would stay by
a business that would not afford him at
least one good suit year? Our only
luxury is daily paper to keep us in touch
with the outside world
Seuen Years Work
At the end of seven years let US face
our situation square1y. On the one hand,
We have added $3.50 to our original equip
ment we have built two wood hoop slos
the cheapest possible kind no roof and
earth Aoor, but filled with good silage
for winter and summer feeding Our
herd of cattle has grown from one cow
and two calves to fifteen in number, headed
by registered Guernsey BULL thanks to
the manure our fields begin to talk back
when speak to them, and the farm is
slowly rising in value because Of improve
ments, local and otherwise. On the other
hand, our buildings, implements and team
are seven years older and sadly needing
repairs or replacement; our mortgage has
grown from $1,000 to S2,000 and we owe
additional 81 900 to banks or otherwise.
We have even drawn on our meagre life
insurance to see the thing through some
thing that with dependents should
think of doing, and, as I said in the be-
ginning, we have never been able to make
any headway against our indebtedness un-
til the last two years, and pity 'tis that
it took world war to make this possible
Causes and Conditions
How do I account for our condition?
Here Is the substance: We have sold for
what was offered without reference to cost
and we have bought at price that always
included liberal profit to some one else.
1t is further aggravated by the fact that
because of this have been unable to buy
labor-savng machinery, and have been
compelled to work in the old back-break-
ing, time-killng way. My town friends
and armchair critics are quick to call my
attention to this point. One says: "Why
don't you have gasolene engine to pump
your water, separate your cream and do
many other jobs? 1t would save you many
an hour that you might employ to better
advantage" Another says: "Any man who
spreads ifteen acres year with stable
manure should have a manure spreader.
1t would save many an hour, and besides
do the wor1r haf<aV %k.r