The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-02-19
FARMERS GIVE
MANY REASONS
FOR UNREST
Labor, Prices and Lack of
Means to Fix Prices Given
as Causes for Disturbances
They Explain.
HOLD BOYS ON FARMS

lneiT pTOQuClS, shortage OF laDOr ana
high prices for implements are some
disturbing causes assigned by farmers
in the letters published today.
One farmer believes capital and Ia
Dor should settle their differences and
another insists that farmers should
take the cooperative method. One
believes the farmers boys should be
kept on the farm by Offering him
working conditions comparable to
those in the city.
Their letters follow:
FRANK w. JORDAN-It does not
look very encouraging for farmers this
year, for prices on grains and live
= stock are entirely too low for each,
when the bulk are for sale. Farmers
so far have had no voice in establish
ing prices. The remedy, in my opinion
would be to have farmers, portion at
least, elected to congress. l contem-
plate selling off 40 acres and the boys
and myself managing the rest of the
work on the farm.
The restless condition in the coun-
Try is due to the war and inflated
prices. Capital and labor need to get
together on wage problems. Every
time labor strikes for shorter hours
Or more pay, capital must increase
their prices to the consumers. and
that takes in every one. I'VE are ul-
timately paying the bills which the
strikers asked.
A. A. LINDLEY-I am raising no
colts this year. Have reduced my
COWS from ten to seven and have 10
fewer brood sows this spring than
last fall. Will not have out quite so
much corn but little more wheat.
To uyT,v
] think there is too wide a margin
between the price of production and
consumption and a disposition on the
part to live high without work. l have
occasion frequently to pass a certain
section gang. Seldom have l seen
more than one or two working at a
time. Two good men would do more
work than the ten. They just want
shorter hours, more pay and lie awake
of nights planning how little they can
90.
The Farmer Boys Chance.
Now l believe labor should be we'll
paid, housed and fed, but he must
also be willing to earn what he gets If
business is to continue. Whenever the
drawing of the pay check is the sum
total of a days work. the end is in
insight Now if a six hour day and
five day week is good for the city
boy, it is good for mine. If they can
live that way, I can. If we wish to
hold our boys and help on the farm, We
must give just as good hours and
working conditions as our city BROTH
rs. We can get just as much money
from a six hour day as 16 if we all
90 it that way.
The sooner we farmers fall in line
the better. Well the high cost of
4
20 to work when the city folks do.
work Just as many hours and work just
as hard. If we cut production as they
90, our farm products will go up as
everything else is doing.
Why Prices Drop.
The reason farm products are sag
ging is because we have kept on
producing the goods. have sold
wheat for 371a cents per bushel. If
can get 1926 for one bushel l have
more money than six bushels brought
me before. Five hours to rest and one
hour to work and still few cents
ahead. Hogs at three cents per
pound, instead of sixteen, gives almost
the same ratio To hold prices up
cut production.
When I was boy. | was in the
field at a. m, and stayed until sun
u.
at $50 every morning and have gone
all winter without missing a day on
account Of weather. Now my boys
don't take their teams out until or s
and come in at war time unless there
is something extra on. Some farmers
fight war time because the. lose the
r>,hest hour of the day.
- His Solution.
Anything which shortens the day an
hour at either end looks good to me.
We will have no solution to our
present unrest until every employer is
willing to do an honest days work.
and every middle man be satisfied
with a reasonable profit. I am sur
prised that the labor leaders cannot
see (when prices are soaring) that to
shorten hours and cut production only
aggravates the trouble, when they
profess to want relief.
If labor is suffering from the high
cost of living. the only relief is to so
to work and increase the supply.
NO NAME am not able to tell
really what the cause of the shortage
OF crops are unless it is the extreme
cost of labor, and that the price of
farm products are not in comparison
with what the farmer has to buy. At
the present price of labor, l don't in
tend to hire. BY the time | would pay
for labor, expense Of the crops, such
as seeds, fertilizers and all expenses,
] would not have any profit left.
What He Will Plant.
I intend putting out all the crop
can possibly put out myself which
will include about 45 acres of corn
and some oats With my stock and
chores to attend to, feel that I will
have nv hands full think the only
way to relieve the satuation is that
the farmers will have to cooperate
more, and the middleman will have
to be cut out He is the fellow that
\ makes the profit
This is my idea about the matter
but don't feel that 1t would be
necessary to use my name as there are
others that are much better posted
and their theory would no doubt be
better than mine. have out my usual
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