The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-19

on account or high cost of living to quadruple the rate charged. I also paid 100 per cent higher rate on soy beans from Nashville to Ta1ladega than was the pre-war rate, and soy beans hai only advanced 50 per cent in price If my memory serves me right, Louisville and Nashville stock was quoted at 14S before the war, the road paid good dividend, besides keeping the roadbed and equipment in the best condition of any system in the south.
 Neither the banker nor the city man had this rate on peas and beans to pay, nor is there any possibility of passing the buck to any one. When the hay is shipped to Birmingham. I am quite surs the eonsignee will deduct the freight from my invoice, as the combination is against the farmer
 The buyer. the banker. the railroad and manufacturer have common in- terest, along common lines. and form a natural business combination which in effect exploits the farmer, and the farmer is powerless to help himself. Ask the buyer. the banker. the rail- road man or manufacutrer-all I dare say, would vehemently deny the charge yet we farmers know it is true. The farmer may not know anything about making shoes. but he can tell better than any shoemaker living where the shoe pnches his foot.
 Suppose the farmers would all com bine and refuse to sell any farm pro duce at the profiteering rate he has to pay at present for everything he buys The courts would have all the officers of the organization in jail be- fore night
 The Moors at the Strait of Gibraltar were no more ruthless nor relentless in exacting tribute from all vessels passing through the strait than is this combination in it's exactions, of tribute from the farmer. Added to this combi- nation is the shrewd lawyer, who for a consideration. will so camouflage the laws he will enact in the Congress or the legislature, that the devil from whom he gets his inspiration, would not recognize the tax hidden by the superfluous verbiage of the law. Take sS percale shirt. costing for the cotton. spinning weaving and manu- featuring. 5S cents-the farmer gets 20 cents, barely cost for the cottor, the mill gets 200 per cent profit for spinning and weaving. the manufac- turer gets 100 per cent profit for mak- ing the shirt. %he merchant gets 50 per cent for wrapping up the shirt and de- livering to the customer, the jobber gets as much as the merchant, while the railroad gets much profit the farmer and six times the pay for half time the farmer puts in making the cotton.
 Where does the banker come in on this combination, you ask? He gets ."rake off by loaning the other fel- lows money deposited with him for safekeeping: from the farmer the buy CT. the merchant. the jobber. mill. man. ufacturer and the railroad, and not be- ing satisfied with this, comes back on the farmer when the crop is made, regardless of price, forces the farmer to sell his product and many "whack up'' with the buyer who gets the farm CTS stuff frequently at less than cost of production.
 Before the European war, accord ing to government statistics the aver age amount of money received by e-horse farmer with family of five children was the munificent sum of S150 for a whole year. Just think of it, A gut cleaner in Chicago gets s125 a week and is not satisfied with it.
 The bankers of the south think loan of S150 for each horse on farm is quite sufficient to pay all expenses while growing #he crop, and $20o per blow is extremely liberal. Is it any wonder that our boys do not see any thing in farming?
 This is not the entire story, for the farmer who has mortgaged his crop to get the s150 is forced to sell when the note natures. and the 'cOm Dindtlon is laying for him. The territory is di- vided out by the big cotton buyers, and the little "pickers" in each town get together and agree on what they will pay during the day and divvy up at night on the profits The 'pikers" do not have to put up" to buy the cotton, the accommodating banker, who "is forced to have his money from the farmer" arranges (for conSid- eration, of course) to carry the cotton to the mills, having the warehouse re- ceipts he takes no risks. The farmer who is tied and helpless turns loose for the same reason the fellows wife was resigned to die--"she jolly well had to be-" The. price is thus de- pressed and the man who is not hog tied" is compelled to hold" until the mills get ready, and are compelled to have the cotton.
 Tee business interests of the country have been selfishly permitting the cot ton producer to be robbed for half century. and Europe has been profiting by our loss. In 1907 the writer was in Manchester, England. and was in- formed by the manager of several flaw tories that the Operatives would lease a piece of land. build a house on it buy machinery On credit to equip the mill: buy the cotton on three and six months time from the cotton mel- chants and pay for mill in three years time out of the profits shipping the bulk of the goods back to America.
 c. T M'ELDERRY.
 Talladega, July 16, 1920.