Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-07-27
DEFENDS FARMER
AGAINST CHARGE
OF PROFITEERING
(The Atlanta Journal News Bureau,
623 Riggs Building.)
RY THEODORE TILLER

4x16OAO6%G I4AA66
WASHINGTON, July 26.-Chal-
longing recent statements of a labor
spokesman charging that the farmer
is a profiteer, J. r. Howard, presi-
dent of the American Farm Fedora
ton, asserts that many thousands,
of farmers are giving up the strug@
gle against high production costs
and going to the cities to accept the
high wages there offered. Mr.. How
ard refers to preliminary census re-
ports on population and farm acre
age to Substantiate his claims that
the cities are drawing from the
rural sections.
Census reports, it will be recall
ed, have not been altogether crafty
ing as to rural communities. In the
agricultural south, for instance,
county population figures have not
shown percentage of increases eX-
pected. In many instances, the
county figures record loss rather
than gain in population: Almost
without exception the cities have
shown large increases. -5".
The exodus of colored laborers
from the south, as well rs the ten-
dency of boys and grown-ups to
leave the farm, may be charged
as largely responsible for such con-
tlitions. They are apparent in every
state, Georgia, Texas, Nebraska,
Wisconsin, and so on. County pop
not keeping pace with expectations
and national need Of production.
Without referring to sections, Mr..
Howard claims that the farmer is
lighting an uphill battle and is get
ting tired of it. He replied to crit
tcfsms of farmers made by James S.
Mccarthy, who recently uttered them
as a representative of railroad labor
unions. Mr.. Howard says the Nc
Carthy charges reflect the usual
superficial view Of the entire food
production problem
THE sooner labor and the great
urban public in general get down to
the facts and study the actual con-
ditions which we face in food pro-
duction in this country" says Mr..
Howard, 1.-The sooner will agriculture
be accorded the encouragement and
consideration it must have to main
tain adequate food supply"
MI Howard says Mr.. McCarthy's
reference to the high prices OF wheat
which "forceS' the government to
fix a price are amusing. Farmers
saw the price of wheat pulled down
and saw it jump back up again when
government restrictions were re-
moved and the open price allowed
to rule.
Farmers War RECORD
Mr.. Howard defends the war rec
ord of the farmer, saying:
"And farmers have not forgotten,
either, how, when their wives and
children were working in the fields
long hours every day to help supply
food to. our soldiers lighting In
France at a dollar a day, LABOR;
knowing that uninterrupted railroad
operation was the only hope for an
adequate flow OF food and munitions,
held the watch on congress ana ny
threat of a strike demanded radlcal
readjustments which are today one
of the real basic causes of our rail-
way struggle"
Answering the allegation that the
farmer is using high farm wages 10
boost food prices, Mr.. Howard con-
tends: Cow,
ers are paying So day to get their
wheat harvested, as alluded to by MT
Mccarthy, is because the high wages
paid by the industries and the rail-
ways which. run past their dar ms
force the farmer to compete LOT
what little labor he can get. II
these conditions force up the cost or
food the farmers surely cannot be
Exodus From Farms
GAS to the profiteering charge, l
need only say that hundreds OF
thousands of farmers have given up
the struggle against high production on
costs, uncertain crop prices and lack
of labor and have either cut down
to the amount they can handle alone
or have gone to the cities to accept
the high wages there offered.
Il have preliminary reports OF the
last census which shows there is a
reason for serious concern in the
large numbers of counties through
out the United States which show
an actual decrease in the acreage OF
improved farm lands. The last CEN
sus tells the story. With urban pop
ulation growing twice as rapidly as
rural population, it is idle to hope
for cheap foods. Calculations based
solely on present production condl-
lions and the law of supply. and de.
mand would Justify a prediction of
higher food prices next year, so far
as the farmer is concerned at any
rate Labor, by increasing its eff
cheney and refraining from strikes
can release men from the Industries
to help in food production and there
by reduce the cost of living. We
must all get down to hard work if
we are to maintain the standard of
living to which we have been &C
customed."