St. Johnsbury Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-1920, 1920-05-05
Secretary Tells Grave
Problems Facing Farmers
(Continued from mare One)

Continued from page one)
cities should be seriously interrupted
for any reason, the city population
would soon face starvation. Nor do
many people fully realize that if farm
production is cultailed materially, Ii
will mean scarcity and higher prices.
Men whose memories go back 20
years will recall the period of relative
overproduction and low prices Of
farm products during the carly nine
ties due to the bringing i"'o r,'tivA-
ton of large areas oil rich prairie
lands of the Middle West. This was
Il period of low farm prices and bust
ness depression.
"In order that production may keep
pace with the growing population, it
will be necessary to increase acre
yields, which will require that cult
walton shall become more and mo 70
intensive. Intensive methods of cult
walton are expensive in both labor an
equipment, and such methods will not
be practiccd unless the prices farmers
receive for their products arc adc-
quatc.
at should be remembered, also,
that American farmers arc not only il.
competition with each other as pro-
ducers, but they arc in competition
with producers of other countric 6.
Not only that, but agriculture as an
industry is in direct competition with
other industries for capital and cs-
pccially for labor. Under present
conditions farmers are losing in COM
petition for labor with other indus
tries. The labor supply of the country
is short the normal immigration OF
labor from Europe during the war 70
Rod, probably about four million.
During 1917 and 1918 manufacturing
industries were largely diverted to
the making of war munitions and sup
plies, and stocks of manufactured CO.
moditics were greatly reduced. Al
the close Of the war, therefore,
there was an accumulated shortage
and an increased demand for manu-
featured articles Manufacturing in
dustrics could afford to speed up 20
full capacity and pay increasingly
higher wages, because the additional
cost could be passed on to the con
suming public. The extra labor re-
CURED for this Increased output was
obtained largely from farms. The
drift of young people from the farms
to the citiea had been going on at an
i,,n u IN, In l.,
especially in the vicinity of industrial
ccntcrs. More than million young
farmers went into the military ser
vice. While these young farmer SOL
dicrs were fighting for their country
on the battlcficlds of Europe, many
more laborers were lurcI away from
farms by the high wages and ehortrf
hours of city employment. When the
great army of farmer soldiers was
mustered out of tho military setvico,
many of them found employment in
cities. Since the close of the war
there has been an increasingly heavy
draft upon farm labor by other in
dustrics, Offering higher wages, short
er hours, and the allurmcnts of city
life. All reports and correspondence
that come to the department cmpha-
size the farm labor shortage and its
probable effect upon farm operations
this year.
Farmers hesitate to pay highcr
wages because, unlike other industries
there is no opportunity for quicl;
turnover or to pass the increased cost
along to consumers. Not only arc
farm wages higher than ever before,
but farm hired labor is scarce at any