The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-11-05
Editorial
of the Day
HARM THE FARM:
HARM THE COUNTRY
From Tulsa Tribune)


The richest mine in America is in
Nevada but mines do not make a
state great. Nevada is one of the
poorest states in the union. 1t is
the most sparsely settled state in the
union. Mines do not make great states.
Time was when Colorado was famous
for its mines but the mines did not
make Colorado great. That which
lifted Colorado up To a strong and
powerful state were her rich pastures,
her plowed fields, her fruit and grain.
and stock raising. In short it is farm
ing that makes a state strong The
farm is the foundation to common
wealth, stability and prosperity. Harm
the farm and you harm The country.
The 1920 census shows, as we nave
before pointed out, that the trenl
from the farm to the town has already
brought in such a tide to congested
c.nters of population that the urbaa
population today exceeds the rural
We must find the road tsck to the
farm if we are to build sustaining
prosperity in the countrg. This nation
cannot grow great with laws and
banking policies that are designed to
help The urban end ~ the cost of
the rural end. It is the farm that pro-
duccs The food we eat and the clothes
we wear And the economic system,
that will rob the produce.', hold up the
consumer and put the chez reward III
The hands of the middlenlSn who does
ne east is basicly wronS and must
&c corrected or we empsrl the eco
nomic structure.
Approaching this growing danger our
federal reserve board is preparing
statement of policy which they prom
Use will cover all phases of the credit
system with possible proposals OF
operation that will not curtail the
farmers credit The farmer always
has had the short end of the stick
and he is getting it now. This abuse
is not going to be corrected by eX-
tending him credit. You are not going
to help a fellow out of debt by
helping him further into debt. The
farmer needs the extended credit be-
cause an unscentific system of mar
keting has robbed him of his just
reward, and he must have money to
carry him over. But the money which
carries him over must some day lie
paid. The promisory note will come
due and it must be met There is but
one way to save him from enforced
debt. He cannot escape debt so long
as our economic structure forces him
to sell for less than the cost of pro-
ducton and permits the middleman to
charge the consumer the appalling
prices that measures the usury of
piracy.
Corn that sells for fifty cents a
bushel reaches the consumer in meal
at $500 per cwt. Wheat that sells for
$500 a bushel sells to the consumer
for s6.75 per cwt. The miller is not
entitled 10 more profit for his labor
than the farmer who produces the
bulk product. Cotton sells at a price
that all too frequently measures loss.
| But the manufacturer of cotton cloth
demands an unwarranted high price.
been holding up the American people
with their wooden goods prices, and
yet the wool growers are unable TO
sell their wool at any price:
The banks must begin to be con-
structive in their system of money
lending to farmers but that is but the
expediency step. The legislatures OF
our several states should work out
scientific marketing policies which
when put into practice will give the
producer of the country's needs his
| fair measure of reward for his labor
They must see that the manufacturers
the middlemen, cannot impose upon
either the producer or the consumer
Only by such a system can the high
cost OF living be substantially lowered
without resulting in an economic dis
turbance which will menace the whole
prosperity of the country.
L