Evening journal., 1920-01-31
OFFICIALSFEAR
FARMERS REVOLT
Replies to QUESTIONABLE Re
garded as Threatening
Economic Structure
MIDDLEMAN'S PROFITS
MATTER OF COMPLAINT

MASnl-NU lllN. Jan. ol-luQlcdtionS n
a Widespread spirit OF unrest and dis
satisfaction among the farmers Of IN,
country, so threatening as likely L
disturb the existing economic struc
turC, is considered by Government Of.
flclals to b. revealed in more thar
10000 replies TO a QUESTIONABLE reLcLt.
ly sent out by the Post Onlce Depart
ment
The replies as thus far Digs d Ner,
summarized in a report prepared by
George j. Wood, sup r,ntendent OF the
Post Onlce D partments division OF
rural mai's, and read TO the Senate Posi-
Onlce Committee yesterday by 1Jmcs
Blakslee. Fourth Assistant Postmaster
General. The views Of the 10000 OF
more farmers were obtained by the
brOadcastlng OF 10000 copies Of q
QUESTIONABLE throughout the agricul-
tural states asking for suggestion;
whereby the Post once Department,
m ght aid in cutting down the cost OF
living.
Answers TO the questlonnaires have
been coming in since the middle II De-
cclnbCT az the rate OF a thousand day
anu as summarized by officials show
tac nid,o complaints OF the farmers n
numerical order TO be:
Inability to obtain labor TO work
the farms, hired help and the f3:in-
cr's childron having been lu~ed 10
the city by higher wages and easi-
er living.
High profits taken by middlemen
for the mere handling OF food
products.
Lack OF proper agencies OF contact
between the farmer and the ulti-
mate consumer.
Many OF the replies. said one official
who had lookad over them. probably
as many as fifty per cent. indicate that
the writers contemplate either Leaving
their farms or curtailing acreage under
cultivation because OF one or more OF
the three major grievances and because
Of the growing feeling against non-pro-
duciDg city dwellers.
Commenting on the raplies. Assistant
General Blakslee. said:
Such a condition al a time when the
predominant cry is for production ami
still more production. cannot but con-
stituie a grave m mace"
Before the Senate Committee, he char
acterized the situation as "d.squletine
and port ntous OF disastrous conse-
quences." This opinion was expr 'ssed
by Mr.. Blakslee after a member OF the
Senate COmmltte, had remarked that
the replies seemed TO have come most
ly from a bunch OF Bolshevists."
Excerpts from a number OF Ftters
taken az random from the more than
30 900 alerady on flle at the posi- ONCE
department. showed the trend oi
thought among at last a considerable
proportion OF the farmers OF New Eng
land the Eastern agricultural section
and the middle Western States.
The time Is very near" wrote a far
mer at East Chatham. n. Y. when we
farmers will haYe to curtsil production
and raise only what we need for our
own use and let the other fellows look
ont for themselves. Labor unions arc
more TO blame for the high prices than
any one else eOple are trying 10 get
pay for what they don't earn"
Writing from Qualmyo, Mo, another
farmer said:
~ almost fear a famine Farm helm
everywhere is flocklng to The city lurcd
by short hours high wages and III
promise Of a good tine Some one,
fear. Is going to suffer II this condition
is not remedied shortly"
Declaring that the whole blame TO-
the high cost OF living rests on the
middlrman, another Missouri producer
advocated fhe establishment Of mu-
nicipal markets 10 be served by par
eel POST direct.
II sell butter TO the dealer for IS
cents q pound his letter said. and the
some butter sells 10 the consumer for go
cents a pound In the distribution we
lose nearly half and we lose money on
the butter at the FIRST price. Such con-
d'tions are causing the farmers 10 leave
The farm by the thousands. We have
reached a crisis.
''You may ask what we would do
with the middle mon. ! will suggest
that Il be arranged for them 10 go on
IN farm and help produce things
understand that they might not relish
working fourteen hours a day. but II
we get by the near future there Will
have' to be some useful work done by
every one"
Declaring that he works a 2iO acre
farm without help and that hundreds
OF other farmers are doing the same. a
Revere. Mo. man declared that ''ihe
place to start 20 lower the cost OF living
Is TO cut the wages in the city. which
have called our farm help there. We
need them on The farm to help increase
production and then we can cut the
cost Of living"
uaNs r.r q a
a day for himself, a White Water, Mo
man said: II hope soon TO see the
farmer and consumer going hand in
hand II not then I am quilting"
q have just finished figuring up
what the eggs poultry and cream that
! sold last year brought me-" another
farmer said "and will not be in the
business next year"
The tendency away from the farm TO
the city was banned by another mid
die Western farmer for the high cost
Of living.
81 attribute II a great deal" he wrote
80 the good times in the cities Tho
young men can go 10 the city. and get
big pay for eight hours work. while
farmers have to work fourteen TO six
teen hours a day at hard manual la
Dor. All OF fhe young men in this Vi
vicinity OF any account go to the city
and there are only a few old men left
to farm"
Declaring that while the farmer has
TO take what the commission man and
retailer viii pay him for his product, he
Is compelled 90 pay whatever the -
ar asks for his clothes. farm machin-
cry and other necessities. another far