Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-11-29
THE HERALD nAIl BAG
COUNT THE COST.
TO the Editor .s sss

To the Edttor-S s sss&
The growing and marketing Of the
the vital question In North Dakota
since the first pioneer poiated the
breaking plow into these virgin prai-5
ries,N which We're destined to become
the bread basket OF the world. Infthe
pioneer days when free homesteads
were fertile almost beyond descrip-
ton; when machinery Waa very cheap
ed, and everything necessary for their
maintenance within the reach, OF the
most humble, the. pioneers were abba
to raise the staff Of life very cheaply.
But with the passing OF all these adj
vantages, the farmer Of today finds
himself in very different SURROUNDINGS,
The lands have lost much OF their fer
Labor Is scarcer,. Less, efficient and
higher in price than ut any time in
the worlds history; machinery has adj
vanced enormously with the avarice
Of the trusts. With plant insect ene-
mics ever increasing in variety And
number, with drouth. hail and climatic
conditions tending continually to make
the living of the farmer more preca-
rious, is it not high time to take stock
and count the cost.
In the past, different associations.
individuals and institutions have made
desultory attempts at finding the cost
of producing a bushel OF wheat. They
have been only partially successfulsbe
cause the figures were not official,
were taken from too small areas, not
taking. in every section Of the state
| and all classes of farmers. It IL ey-
! ident that some farmers are more Of
| ficient and will produce q commodity
more cheaply than others. Some dis
tricts. too. will produce album
1 \ rk1xy- - Srxskhs EYAA~ = ,~.a -.
ut q less cost, and It seldom happens
that a certain district or a certain
farmer a produce q bushel Of grain
at the same cost each year., for there
is usually a difference in the Yield
or. operating expenses.
When marking the selling price Of
his wares the business man or manu.
adds his profits. But the farmer has
no such advantage: When he de-
mands a higher price for his produce,
and quotes his cost Of production, he
is altogether likely to be informed
that his figures have no standing, that
they are merely guess estimates, and
are not official. The question then
the actual cost for all the producers,
' and there seems to be but n answer
: Our state or federal government.
When the assessor calls on each tax
payer and asks how many acres Of
each Of the kinds Of grain he grew
the previous year and the price re-
ceived Tor the lint why not 70 q
stepefurther and add another list to
his long, list of questions that would
ask the cost per acre Of blowing, seed,
seeding,' t1discing, narrowing. cutting,
twine, Shocking, threshing and hauling
! to market, together with the interes,
on the actual value of the land.
With every producer in the state
undeFIoHth to give these facts truth.
fully each year, the farmer would have
IAN array Of facts which would stand
%unchal1ehged and could make just de-
mands Tor living prices for wheat and
other grains. Demands so convincing
that it would be folly to question them
Other states would o follow, anc
to this might be added the cost Io1
raising live stock, dairy products, poul'
try, etc.
Will the farmers be so Indifferent
or negligent as to fail in demanding
law putting this into effect in 1921, OF
the legislature so short-signted as t.
J delay it? Who has the answer?
ARTHUR II. WHITE.
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