Arizona republican., 1920-02-03
Republican A. p. Leased wire]

Republican A. p. Leased Wire]
 WASHINGTON, Feb. 2.-Elimination of useless employees in no-productive business, the speeding up of all lines of industry commensurate with the pres ent activity of the farmers and de- termination of retailers and jobbers to exact only reasonable profit were recommended as a solution for the high cost of living problem by Edwin T. Meredith. on taking the oath of office today as secretary of agriculture. The high cost of living problem. he assert ed, can not be solved through the ef- forts of one class but all business and all labor must recognize the solution as a common duty ''or less and less will there be of farm produce to divide among the whole people and higher and higher will go the price of that which is prodrced.'
 Lessen Production Burden
 "The farmers of America. said Sec retary Meredith. ''are willing to as sume their part of the responsibilities as American citizens in meeting any problem threatening the welfare and stability of our country, but this high cost of living problem is a mutual one and they ask that it be approached by all the people as a common problem. They ask that those engaged in dis not put so great a burden upon pro- duction that there is upon it today In other words. they ask that there be an adequate number of producers of wealth and this includes property and food of all kinds, and only such number of distributors as is necessary to perform the services required. They ask that the banks, railroads, wholesale houses, retail establishments, factories, all of which are vitally necessary to the farmer and recognized by him as such, be speeded up along with him, that 10 be done, if possibye. by two and the burden of transportation and dis tribution be thereby frightened.
 Must Discard Useless Empioye
 Business men must look to the oper- ation of their establishments no mat ter in what line they may be engaged, and see that no useless employe is re- tained to add to the cost of distributing what the farmer now produces. Use- less employees must be released from non-productive work that they may go into productive work and add to the sum total that may be distributed among all. Let us have six -tenths of our people in production and four tenths in distribution, that there may be Six-tenthS of what a man can pro- duce each day for each of us, rather than have four -tenths in production and six-tenths in distribution, which gives only four-tenths of what a man can produce each day for each of us.
 iThe farmer asks that the laborere in the mines, the factory and the mills who are also real producers along with the farmers, make an effort compar- able to his, to see there is just as little labor expense as possible in each article turned out by their hands, thereby helping the farmers of Amer ica, who, in turn, will help the laborer. Given this and the manufacturers, job bers and retailers taking a reasonable profit and recognizing the harm that must ultimately come from profiteer- ing upon the farmer, the question of the high cost of living will largely solve itself to the permanent good of all concerned.
 Higher Prices Alternative
 "On the other hand. if the whole country, all business and all labor, does not recognize this as a common problem and do those things which give the farmer a fair compensation for his efforts and do those things which make farm ng remunerative pleasant and as attractive as other lines of endeavors. the conditions will not improve. On the contrary. more and more will the young men leave the farms, more and more will the older men become discouraged, and less and less will there be of farm produce to divide among the whole people for their sustenance and higher and higher will go the price of that which is produced"