The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-03-11
THROWING 1T TO THE BIRDS

II a well dressed city stranger
strolled into the farmers barnyard
and said. "Say, you've got money to
throw to the birds, haven't you?" he
would probably depart hurriedly just
i'll front of the tines of a pitchfork
When he realizes what his crop costs
in time, in labor and in money and
balances that with the prices he has
to pay, any farmer would deny that
he had money to throw to the birds.
Yet that is just what thousands of
them are doing.
They would not permit the birds of
the air or the beasts of the field to
rob their crops. Fences and the old
12-gauge shotgun take care of that
danger Nor would their open their
granaries and spread tenth of their
crops around the harnyard to satisfy
the hunger of the poor sparrows and
the voracious crows. But they do not
= hesitate,. many of them to throw a
tenth or more of their crop Of saw
ifigs TO the birds.
That is what they are doing every
time they dispose of liberty bond at
present market prices. They take
securities which cost them full value
in money, labor and self-sacrifice and
which they know are sure in time to
pay them dollar for dollar with inter
est and scatter ten per cent or more
of their value to the winds. They are
sacrificing the worlds best security
Present prices are no indication of
the real value of liberty bonds and
their future looking value is apparent
to every thinking man.
The government has paid and will
pay every cent due in interest and
principal of these obligations. Be
hind them is the honor and faith of
the United States and the whole
wealth of the nation.
The causes for present liberty bond
prices are not far to seek, and hold no
menace for the permanent value OF
the securities. Issued in stupendous
amounts in a short time, investors
necessarily require time for absorp-
ton with temporary. prejudice to their
sale value. Tehy are subject to mar
ket conditions and the investing pub
lie itself is largely to blame for the
decline because it failed to save in
proportion to the enormous expendl-
ture of capital during the war.
Not only are those who sell THEN
bonds facing sure loss of nearly ter
per cent but the entire proceeds of the
sale are endangered, by the birds OF
Prey. Who are the birds for which
this rich meal of dollars is spread? Ir
most cases profteers, purveyors OF
unnecessary luxuries and confidence
men with worthless stocks for sale Of
exchange. Those are the birds tina
are being fed and their appetites ar'
Unsuitable. Some people undoubtedl.
have had to release their liberty bono
holdings because of their pressing
necessities but the majority havt
yielded to the prevailing tendency to
ward extravagant waste and the de
sire to get something for nothing.
The farmers of America not onl.
should keep tight told and guard ol
the liberty bonds they possess bu
should take advantage of the oppor
tunity for safe profit, which lies i
additional purchases of these securi
ties. If farmer knew of neighbo
who was willing to sell 500 bushel
of wheat at So abushel and that farm
er knew he could sell that grain in
brief time for $2.26 to the u. S. gov
ernment, he would jump at the chanc
of sure profit. Liberty bonds a
present figures present an exactl
equal opportunity.