The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-02-27
MAKE PRODUCERS OF
USELESS MEMBERS
This is the Advice Given by the
New Secretary of AgriCuI-
tuTe.

IN answering questions Of news
paper men regarding means for re-
ducing the high cost Of living. Ed
win T Meredith. the newly installed
! Secretary OF Agriculture. said that
useless employees. no matter in
VIVA, line they may be engaged.
must he released from non-produc-
Tive work and given an o7portuni-
'tv 10 become producers upon the
farm or in the factory. II this is
done and il jobbers and retailers
.recoznizs the harm that must ulti-
uate.y ONE from proti,eering on
1.-The farmer and content themselves
with a reasonable profit. ne said,
! the question u the high cost Of liv-
ing viii largely solve itself TO the
permanent good Of all. But unless
the whole country business and
al, labor-dces recognize this as a
1 common problem and do the things
/ necessary to solve it. he continued.
less and less will there be OF farm
produce to divide among the whole
I people and higher and higher will
so the price OF that which IS pro-
duced
II am surprised" said MI Mere
di,a. that ] should have received
The number Of messages have, par
4 ,ieu.arly from daily papers, asking
what plans ]. as Secretary OF Agri-
Icu,ture. have to reduce the high cost
/ OF living. indicating that the gener-
1 al feeling is. that this IS essentially
an agricultural problem. Il is, Of
course. related 70 agriculture but
10 more than to many other lines OF
activity. snd I an tempted 10 believe
that the solution Of the problem lies
more il the hands Of those interest
e5 il distribution and non-produc-
tive enterprises than il the hands Of
the farmers OF the country
The farmers must certainly pro
/ ducs. They have produced and will
p-oduoe-that Is their business.
They are or = piece-neasure basis,
50 given satisfactory conditions they
will 90 their part. as the farmers Of
America have IL every situation or
I crisis tha. has faced tire country,
But this question OF satisfactory
/ conditions IS big one. i IS not
: satisfactory condition Tor the far
-e- % receive reduced prices for
F, his pork. wheat, hides, while the
( prices Of ITS machinery, lumber, and
shoes are raised. Il does not con-
/ t-ce % z pleasant frame OF mind on
Ire part Q. the farmer or spur him
70 greater production 20 be obliged
10 sell t,s products for half or less
than te later sees them sold for a.
/ -e-an. The dairy farmers OF the
country wonder II they are treated
/ fairly when they receive 50 70 40
! cents for butter and see II retail a.
So cents. The poultry men wonder
why, when they receive from 40 10
| 80 cents for eggs, they retail as high
as a dollar per dozen. The hog
growers wonder II they are not IN
hazardous business when they
BUY fencing aud all other supplies
az greatly increased prices. and then
zee their produce fall 80 per cent
and sold by them at an actual loss
i'm answer to demand on the part
Of the rest Of the population for a
reduced cost Of living,
/ THE farmers Of America" the
new Secretary went on, ARE will
lag 10 assume their part OF the re-
spousibilitles a. American citizens
/ In meeting any problem threatening
the welfare and stability Of our
country, but this high cost Of living
/ problem il mutual one, and they
ask that It be approached by all the
people as & common problem, They
ask that thess engaged in distFibu-
LioH eliminate tue lost motion and
not put so great burden upon the
production 30 there is upon II TO-
day. In other words, they ask that
there be an adequate number of pro
dueers OF wealth and this includes
property and food of all kinds, and
only such number of distributors d
lis necessary ia perform the serV-
ices required. They ash that the
banks, railroads. wholesale houses
retail establishments, factories, al
OF which are vitality necessary ia the
farmer and recognized by hlm al
such. be speeded up along with him,
that the work rev done by three
men may be deRe, if possible, by
two, and the burden of tTanspeTta-
ton and distribution be thereby
lighteRed. If the factory executive
will speed up his plant that there
NAV he tDa DAYS labor in the SUP