The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-08-16

When he buys he asks, 'Hov
much is it?" II he sells wheat o.
hogs he patiently listens to the deal
ers explanation that the dealer cal
pay so much, which is the Chicag 81
price less the freight, when ever,
farmer knows very well that not 6
bushel of his wheat or a pound o.
his hogs goes to Chicago. When the
dealers explanation that it is 81
much. being the Detroit price, plu.
the freight, though he knows thai
1t also includes a profit to the man
ufacturer, the man who mined tbs
ore, the man who manufactured the
tires, the man who sells it to him
and everyone else who. contributed
to its construction.
Continual Expense
Let us look into this little. In
the first place the farmers opera
E : + 80 81. ssh. gAis 1
lions cover q year or 4 series 81
years He works all winter getting
his stock through and repairing his
equipment. and preparing for the
next season. In the spring he starts
his blowing and planting; he has
carried his seed over from the year
before and puts it into the ground.
His expense goes on all the time and
piles up all season. In the fall he
harvests, still on expense. He has
gambled all season with the ele-
ments-perhaps frost took part of
the crop, unseasonably hot weather
cut the crop in half or rains at har-
vest caused loss of 20 per cent.
When he is through he knows how
much he has, but he does not know
how much it is worth. Then he goes
to town to ask. what are you pay
ing for corn?" or wheat? He now
starts gambling with prices. If he
sells at once, probably the price will
go up, and il he holds probably it
goes down. No matter what it costs
to raise it, he has to take what is
offered him. IT,
Too Big q Gamble
It is this that has brought the
farmer to the point where he quits
the farm or only raises what. he
needs for himself. 1t has become too
big a. gamble-he was willing to
gamble his work and that of his
family and to be satisfied with the
per capita wage in the coun-
try, but the war conditions, and the
postwar conditions have created a
demand for the boys labor and they
know that the return is certain and
The hours are shorter, so they have
gone to the factories, and the farm
ar will not pay out wages to COM
pete with factory wages because he
mas, no assurance that his return will
enable him to do so.
Because he has to carry his ex-
,enses all through the season and
mas only one pay day, the farmer is
naturally a borrower. When his
,rop is harvested the banks demand
hat he pay off his obligation, so |
lie must sell the bulk of his produce.
n other words, the bulk of his sales
ire distress sales After the prod
Ice passes from his hand there is |
Usually big raise in prices. This
9 discouraging indeed.
Not Properly Financed
One of the chief causes of the |
resent condition of the farmer is
he lack of proper financing. The
ederal land bank was organized,
supposedly, to take care of the farm
RS, but at best it is a very leaky |
'essel and certainly it needs a lot |
# repairs. It's chief value to the |
armer is when he wants to buy
more land. In that case it is a good |
wagon, but when it comes to crop
inancing, it is broken down. The
.reatest value of the federal land |
'ank has been to furnish high inter
st-bearing, gilt-edge securities alb
olutely tax free for profiteers to
ink their surplus in; it has not low
red the interest rate in proportion
o the increase in the farmers taxes,
or he helps bear taxes which should
ave been levied on money that
ought the bonds.
The federal reserve bank has prov
n a wonderful vehicle for modern
usiness, helping everyone but the
armer. Its credits are based on liq-
i'd assets; therefore the farmer is
out of it, because his big
sset is his land, which is not liquid.
A farmer must have his money
rom six months to a year, but the
Io.ov ,oao,rn booI, eo-o,o - |