Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1920-02-11

WASHINGTON, D. Cover a, 900
answers sent in by farmers to a
QUESTIONABLE sent out by the admin
istration early In December indicate
widespread unrest on the farm. Re-
plies are still coming In at the rate
of 1000 q day.
From every section of the country
farmers report inability to meet con-
ditiOns, that is, to make a good living
out of the margin between market re-
turns and the cost Of farm supplies,
including hired labor. Some report
as planning to quit farming; more as
having to decrease production to keep
from going broke.
While many politicians affect sur
PRISE that our farmers are not living
on milk and honey, considering how
they have distributed free seeds, re-
pealed the daylight saving law and
accomplished other similarly great
things for the farmers in the last
three years, the conditions reported
have been apparent to any one who
studies production conditions, for a
long time.
Farmers have been prevented from
receiving full competitive prices in
several lines by war restrictions and
have been faced by organized raids
like that of last fall. At the same time
the great industries supplying the
| farmer with clothes, machinery and
other supplies have had free hand
! Obviously the farmer has been badly
! squeezed. by these two hostile forces
BIGGER PRODUCTION PLEAS.
The politicians will endeavor to
smooth over the unrest on the farms
by an appeal for greater production
as patriotic duty. e. T. Meredith
the new secretary Of agriculture, has
already launched such fearful ap
peal, and it will be repeated over and
over by every controlled paper In the
country until after the next election
In effect the farmers are being asked
to send good money after bad. They
have been Cleaned" in the last year
so they are asked now to put up all thu
capital they can beg or borrow, not
with a reasonable hope Of profit but
from patriotic duty.
Decreased production, curtailine
capital and labor expense, is the only
way the farmer can stay on the farm
during an adverse period, and he viii
be far more patriotic if he thus pro
tects himself until such time as the
! politicians are willing to reorganize
our marketing and draw the teeth Of
the trusts. A decrease of $4,000, 00(
acres in winter wheat planting has
already been registered.
BONUS MOVES.
Soldier bonus legislation, promised
by the Republican steering committee
of the house to the liberal group or
ganized by Representatives Baer, Sin
clair, Carss and Keller some weeks
ago, is still deferred. The house is
busy trying to make up its mind
whether to give an additional $3.50,
100000 to Poland, Armenia, Bohemia
their "going Bolshevik." Latest opin
ion is that the recommendation of the
ways and means committee that $50,
100000 be given, chiefly to Poland
will be adopted. Soldier bonus bills
may be considered when this item is
out of the way.
Baer and his associates are. inclined
to think that the gift Of this money tt
starving Poland will not result il
feeding the starving people so much
as in stimulating the Polish army t
try to conquer more of the soil of Rus
STA, on which they already are intrud
ers for more than 100 miles beyond
their eastern boundary. Such an ad
vance will mean more war, which ir
turn will lead to further appeals fol
help for the starving people behind
the battle lines. These congressman
favor such an application of American
funds as will bring peace and indus
trial production in all Europe, so tina,
Europe may exchange goods witt
America, and so that the danger of q
worldwide panic and unemployment,
may be averted.
KENYON BILL Attacked
Senator Gronna and Senator Norri,
have won the first skirmish in thei1
battle in the senate committee OF
agriculture to keep at least one or twt
teeth in the meat packer legislation
For four days they debated the new
Kenyon-Kendrick bill, which woult
take away from the federal trade com
mission the control of the livestock
and meat packing business. They nov
| believe that thew will ho ahlo IN efrilrs