The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-04
The Farmer Is Going to Have
His Day.

His Day.
Kansas, Iowa and Texas farmers
demand and deserve a square deal in
the marketing of their grain. Their
agitation for better price for their
crops and proper credit to finance
them may be passing incident in the
worlds Industrial reimbursement, but
it ~Aears an important relation to the
deep, quiet, evolutionary and orderly
transition which Is going on in the
great American farming industry as
result of the war.
In Withholding their grain from
market in probably fatal attempt
co force the price Of wheat up to So
bushel, when there is an oversupply
of wheat, farmers of the wheat grow
Ing States are not pursuing Simon
pure economic course. But they are
demonstrating that the plough, the
harrow and the seed drill are no
longer the simple poetic symbols of
mythical pastoral bliss and album
dance but the practical working tools
of an industry which has unlimited
power to enforce its rights and has
determined to exercise that power in
way that will bring results.
America has never seen farmers
strike and probably never will. But
the farmer gan ask some pertinent
questions about recent goings on In
the general industrial field that would
be hard for anybody to answer, and
he can rake up enough past history
to justify him in going to any length
ut this late day to get his share.
To the undoubted fact that there
is too much wheat in the world for
IL TO sell at So bushel the farmer
will reply that he answered the call
for increased production. paid Excess
sive wages and excessive supply prices
to raise crop which he cannot now
market without loss. IL the farmer
Is to be asked to dump his wheat at
50 or less when It was produced on
n higher cost basis he will demand
that every other producer. wage
worker and distributor sell his goods
or services correspondingly down so
the farmer may buy more labor, sup
plies, fertilizer and machinery for his
smaller profit on 81 or lower wheat.
The farmer has been accused of
holding out on hungry humanity be-
cause he did not dispose of all his
previous crop as soon as II was har-
vested. lie has stood false charges
that would have shamed the worst
profiteer. But seldom has he been
commended for using good BUSINESS
judgment, exactly as 1t is exercised in
the best managed Industries, when he
has practlsed or tried to practise very
sound principles In spreading out the
sale of his wheat to stabilize the mar
ket and prevent spasmodic price de-
clines which give big interests, for
eign and domestic, the opportunity at
crop making time to gather In great
yields Of wheat at low prices to be
passed on TO the consumer later at
prices as high as II the market never
had seen n recession.
1t would require more than an ex-
pert hair splitter to define the differ
ence between carrying on credit for
gradual distribution million or ten
million tons Of raw materials used In
industry 10 prevent too rapid break
In prices, and carrying on credit a
part Of the wheat crop on the farms
to prevent n collapse of prices. The
wheat crop will be carried over any.
how. for the world will not buy more
than IL needs; but 1t will he carried
over in such manner ms to put the
profit from prices stabilized to the
consumer into the pockets of some.
body besides the farmer.
Farming Is naturally speculative
undertaking, the farmer natural
speculator, for his fortune rides on
the tickle wind and his profits may
disappear with an early frost. Even
with all the uncertainties of wenther
and other conditions beyond his con-
troll the furmer knows that under the
free law Of averages he can make out.
But he has learned that he never can
make out II he is hoodwinked by
she'll game which shows him SO for
bushel Of wheat when he Is producing
u in June and only SO bushel when
We is marketing IL in September and
october.
Unless the country Is prepared 20
1--WE the farmer curtail his crops In
he future and thwart the very doc.
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