The Filer record. (Filer, Idaho) 1919-1930, 1920-03-11

f7cu-~iUk ihc HiIh N'7e " ''''~
relation 10 the farmer, sayS
A in order for the farmers 1"
A Ia reducing the cost of living,
msine . must cooperate with the
agricultural interests of the county
and that unless employees, %"
matter in what line they may be
engaged, must be released from
non.productiye work and given al
opportunity 10 become producers
upon the farm or in the factory
II this ~ done and il jobbers and
retailers recognize the h..rm that
must ultimately come from proht
teering on the farm aud content
themselves with reasonable profit
/ he says, the question Of the high
cost of living will largely solve IT.
self to the ornament coed Of all.
But unless the whole country-all
business and all Ia bor-does
recognize this as co nmon
problem and do the things that Is
necessary to solve it,, he declares
that less and less will there be OF
farm products to divide among
the whole people and higher and
higher will go the price OF that
which vs. produced.
IL am surprised" says Mr..
Meredith, that | should have re-
ceiyed the number of measures
have asking what plans |, as
Secretary of Agriculture, have TO
reduce the high cost of living, IN
dicating that the general feeling
is that this is essenti lily an agri-
cultural problem. Ii is, OF course,
, related to agriculture, but no more
than to any other lines of activity,
and | am tempted to believe that
the solution of the problem lies
more in the hands OF those inter-
ested in distribution and non pro-
ductiye enterprises than IN The
hands Of the farmers of the county.
THE farmers must certainly
produce. They have produced and
will produce that is their business.
They are on a piece measure basis
so given satisfactory conditions
they will do their part, as the
farmers of America have in every
situation or crisis that has faced
the country. But this question OF
satisfactory conditions is a big
one. IL il not satisfactory con-
dition for the farmers to receive
reduced prices for his pork, wheat,
hides, while the prices of his
machinery, lumber and shoes are
raised. Ii does not conduce to a
pleasant frame of mind on the part
of the farmer or spur him to great
or production to be obliged to sell
his products for half or less than
he later secs them sold for at retail
The dairy farmers of the county
wonder il they are treated fairly
when they receive 30 to 40 cents
for butter and see il retailed ut 50
cents. The poultry men wonder
why, when they receive from 40
TO so cents for eggs, they retail
a. high as 81 q dozen. The hog
growers wonder il they are not in
hazardous business when they
buy fencing and all other supplies
at greatly increased prices, and
then see their produce fall 80 per
cent aud sold by them at an actual
loss, in answer to demand ON the
part of the rest of the population
for reduced cost Of living.
The farmers of America are
willing to assume their part of the
responsibilities as America n
citizens Ia meeting any problem
threatening the welfare and sta
bility Of our country, but this
high-cost-of-living problem Is a
mutual one, and they ask that Il
be approached by all the people as
a common problem. They ask
sha. those engaged IN distribution
eliminate the lost motion and not
put as greats burden upon pro
ducsiun a. there Is upon II today.