Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1920-02-11
Daily
Editorial
Digest
Critic Appld for L. S. Pat Off
Edited by the Washington
Feature Service
DAVID LAWRENCE, Prest.
WILL THE
FARMER STRIKE?

IF the farmers stop working,
says the Albany Argus CDem9, the
rest OF us will have to stop eating.
And that is just what many of them
threaten to do.
This is no imaginary danger the
Argus goes on; "a summary OF more
than 10000 replies from farmers to
q QUESTIONABLE sent out by the Post
office Department has just been lad
before the Senate postoftice commit
tee. and about half of them indicate
that the writer's contemplate either
leaving their farms or curtailtng the
acreage under cultivation"
What are the grievances of the az
riculturists? The Wheeling Register
(Dem.) summarizes them thus:
Il. Inability to obtain labor to
work on farms, as hired help and the
farmers children have been lured to
the city by higher wages and easier
living.
40. High profits taken by middle
men for the mere handling of food.
80 3. Lack Of proper agencies of
contact between the farmer and the
ultimate consumer.
most of their troubles" adds the Los
Angeles Times (Ind. Rep0; the un-
ions have demanded increased wages
and shorter hours until labor is cen
tralized in the cities and it is diff
cult TO obtain competent farm help,
1t is impossible to run farm on an
eight-hour day and make any profit.
But the Rochester Democrat and
Chronicle tRep1 declares that the
extra wages are much more than
swallowed IN in extra expense in
spite of which the rush TO the cities
continues, leaving the farmer help
less and hopeless. In the cireum-
stances, the farmer can hardly be
blamed if he feels like giving up.
The situation is filled With men
ace to the future, declares the
Springfield (Ohio) News (DemJ and
many others take a pessimistie view.
The Detroit Free Press Cnd.l finds
that the practical deSertiOn OF The
youth OF a generation has left the
farms tenanted by elderly men who
see in the present land values an
opportunity TO sell at prices not like
~ to be soon duplicated, and they
leave no sons TO carry on their
work" And while the Free Press
adds that farmers don't strike vet
at is possible for them to follow the
example set by Russian moujiks-
raise enough TO supply their own
needs and let the nOn-prOdueers look
out for themselves. " A reduction
of the acreage under cultivation is
almost certain thinks the CHICAGO
Daily News Ond9, unless mean
are found TO guarantee agriculture
the basic industry, fair return. ~
The Hartford Courant Rem. Whfir
II takes some comfort from the fac.
that the 10000 replies TO he ques-
tionnaire are only a quarter of the
total number OF farmers who had an
opportunity 10 answer and assumes
that those who are most disCOntent-
ed would be the first TO reply still
believes that even the complaints
already received are by far too
many
The feud between town and coun-
try according to the Springfield
Republican Qnd.l, is at present an
almost worldwide phenomenon. in
some countries like Russia and parts
of central Europe reaching at times
the pitch Of civil war with the en-
battled farmer on one side and the
hungry prOletariat on the other. ~
And
~ hereas in this country it is for
n&tely not eXacerbated by famineIt
is nevertheless made acute by the