Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1920-06-11

written Specially for The Bu1lettn)
A western newspaper paragrapher, who
evidently does not banker after rutabaga
turnips as fodder, writes:
I'VE don't know why farmers produce
rutabagas-that is their business. But
they furnish the seed, use their own
ground, do their own cultivating and
harvest the crop for 2 1-2 cents a pound.
for which the consumers pay cents a
pound. Three and half cents pound is
the punishment wholesalers and retailers
inflict upon people for eating rutabagas.
Which is rather neatly put, as it seems
10 me. II any one of my city readers
who has been paying 6 cents pound for
rutabagas and kussin' the greedy farmer
for his profteerfng will kindly note the
above explanation of who got his 6 cents
and in what proportion it was divided,
perhaps it may steer him on to another
trail.
Along the same line, here is another
incident: The other day l noted in
New York paper the heading Prices
Show General Decline on Market" Any
thing which Suggests a decline of prices
is interesting. So 1 looked over the short
news article.
All Of the prices which were reported
as having declined we're wholesale prices
paid by city middiemen to farmers for
farm products in quantity. The particu-
lar products involved we're potatoes, as
paragus, spinach. Strawberries and butter
There was no evidence that the "ulti-
mate consumer" was enjoying any mark
ed reduction, even in these specified arti-
cles. But the producer was getting it in
the neck" once more. His chance of Sc
curing enough money to hire a little help
IN toll for OF
sumption wasn't improving any.
Somehow. I'm always reminded by such
reports as this Of the trite old fable of the
goose which laid the golden eggs-and
which the fool owner killed in order to
hog the whole clutch at once. The result
Of his greed is well known But his con-
duct has been repeated a good many
times since that prehistoric day by other
fools. And the fools are not all dead,
yet"
Here is another quotation from another
bright newspaper para grapher this time
from Texas:
Being an optimist. we are confident
that the world will ultimately develop a
noble and enduring civilization, but if she
ever does go completely to smash it will
he because Of inordinate greed on one side
and ignorant desperation on the other.
out Of humanity is a slow ONE
The worst of it is that the hogs think
the hyenas are the whole cause of the
trouble. while the hyenas are equally sure
that the world would be a paradise if the
hogs were all butchered off.
In which worldwide debate now going
on the present writer's sympathies are
frankly with neither, but with the man
up the tree. The man who is neither hog
nor hyena, and who has been driven to
his insecure refuge by the tusks of the
one and the fangs of the other. I should
really like to see him furnished with
enough machinegun capacity to clear the
ground in his immediate vicinity of both
hangers and tuskers. At least to such an
extent that he could raise a few crops
without danger of their being rooted UT
by one set of beasts or of himself being
deyoured by the other
You may have noted that there is fresh
trouble in the milk situation. The farmers
connected with the Dairymen's league re-
port that it actually costs them over two
and eight-tenths cents a pound to pro-
duce milk. Yet the price to be paid their
has been fixed" by the milk trust al
about two and one-half cents a pound
That is 30 say, the milk trust offers the
farmers of the states wherein the Dairy.
mems league is effective something less
for their milk than it costs to produc,
that same milk
Perhaps you're one of those who thinI
you are paying too much for your milk a,
it is. Would you however. take up fol
yourself or long continue if already en-
gagged in a business which returned vol
less for your product than the cost O
making it? Do you blame farmers TO,
feeling and acting just as you would un
der similar. conditions? And how do vo,
figure that milk will become cheaper Il
you If any considerable number of dairy
men, forced TO the wall by constant loss
es, at last give up the bankrupting bust
ness and thus diminish the already scan
~ supply Of milk? Do you really sun
pose it will become cheaper when there
less of it?
Here is an authoritative statement O
the real cost of getting a 4O-uuart can o
milk from the farmers wagon to the cit,
stores:
o7eSui iNihs Is cent