Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-02-06
Friday. February 6, 1920.
Coed IDEAS are only seeds. They
must be planted and titled before
they can produce"
Its Make the Best Of II.

Let's Make the ees. Of It.
! CORE. ponden- requests tbs pub
llcation Of 4 Observation-Disclosures
from which taken not naTaed-wHt-
ten uy Far Davis OF Vermont Why
Must Farmers Sacrifice" is The sub
iect discussed. this being q reply 10
advice that the farmers get busy
and sacrifice fox the good OK the
country. Mr.. Davis assumes-and Is
veil within his rights-that the
farmers are as sacrificing as any
class of people. and he asks Why
should the farmers De called upon TO
do all this sacrifice stuff: Why
should they be called upon to put
IN Is to IS hours day. BESIDES the
time Of wife and children. to the
limit of their strength, and beyond.
that some gentlemen OF leisure IN
the city can live in luxury. and wo'k
Gf il can be called work.. five days
per week and six hours per day? And
with these short hours and big pay
are the city workmen willing 20 pay a
living price for produce: Witness
the boycott on eggs and meat
/ fail 20 see why, if food is the
principal object, that some OF these
highly paid. short-hour men OF the
cities do not go into the country and
try this 15-hours- "a day proposition.
Immediately they would get their
board, and if it is simply matter OF
food, their object would be realized.
Why should this matter be put upon
n patriotic basis. and if that is the
proper basis. why should it be put
squarely up to the farmer?
There is no question but what
farmers, as a class, are probably the
most patriotic class in the world. II
they were not, believe mt, some or
these high priced men in town would
have starved to death some time ago
Let some of these same men get back
into the country and help raise some
Of the grub they eat. II they will,
under present conditions. they will
have less time TO agitate any daylight
saving scheme, which seems to be SO
popular with certain classes. It may
be narrow and unpatriotic. but / be-
lieve and have for some time, that
The quickest way and the surest is
for farmers to raise only food for
themselves and families"
As the world always is disposed to
learn through suffering, being unable
to profit from Intelligence or willing
to forego its pleasure, the conclusion
arrived at by Mr.. Davis is logical and
would teach the world lesson some
thing like what was taught by the
war-and is being unheeded. While
the lesson proposed nigh. not i5c soon
forgotten, it is probable that the re-
suits would be such as to leave the
farmers who laid down on their job
in worse plight than before. AS
matter of self preservation capital
and effort would be diverted TO agri-
culture. This could not be done i'm
mediately and meanwhile the world
would suffer severely. Ultimately it
would be done and the present hold
ers OF farm property would meet de-
pressed conditions, lower prices and
overprodUction.
With respect to justice, there is
none whatever. in asking a farmer to
work sixteen hours a day so that
some fellow in town protected by a
labor union or other monopoly and
striving to limit rather than to in
crease production. may be able to live
cheapIy Nor does it appear how
wise laws may be passed to correct
the situation. The law Of supply and
demand .interfered with by the labor
union. by the trust. by the extor-
Tomato middleman, Is nevertheless
inexorable over a period Of time: the
small potatoes after sufficient shak-
ing Of the container will work down
TO the bottom.
AS We understand it the farmer to-
day is not suffering because Of any
lack Of demand for his products nor
because he does not get a good price
Tor his products whenever he is 10
Situated that he may come in con.
tact with the consumer. II depen-
dent on middlemen he doubtless has
much to complain Of and such con-
ditions it may be possible to remedy
somewhat by legislation and co..
operation. He doubtless is suffering
and overworked because Of his in
ability to secure assistance at any
price which he can afford to pay. The
inevitable result OF this will be de-
creased production whether the
farmer wills it or not and this will
increase the price Of food and the
city man will have to pay that price,
to do which he will have to get in
creased wages until such a point il
reached that he cannot get the In
creased wage. Then he will be the
one to do the worrying. not the
farmer.