Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1920-12-29
HIGH COST OF
FARM PRODUCTS
Interesting Inside Facts on
Cost That Enters Into
Farm Crops

/ was much interested in the edi-
torial printed in the Express and
Standard under date of Nov. 10Th.
The same was very good and is GER
, tainly on the right track but did not
| finish its course in the estimation of
the writer.
/ suppose this is not to be expected
from the editor of a county Cor city?)
newspaper as his viewpoint of ag-
ricultural problems lies somewhat in
the perspective; that is, they are not
in position to study these matters at
the closest possible range.
Farmers are, strictly speaking, pro-
ducers of raw material. Of course it
is obvious that fibers such as wool.
cottonS, fax, ETC., as well as hides,
etc, are raw material, but also, in a
way, all food products could be con-
sidered as in that class. Cream and
milk are largely manufactured into
butter, cheese, ice cream, condensed
milk, caeSin, etc., which in return
except easein-are the. fuel for la
bor-feeding the muscles that manu-
facture. They are as necessary as
the coal that feeds the furnaces or the
cotton that feeds the looms Wheat
feeds the Touring mills, flour feeds
the muscles, etc. Wheat's by-prod-
ucts, corn, cottonseed, ETC., feed the
meat and milk animals which in turn
feed the muscles, ETC.
The abnormal defation of prices for
farm products is due principally to
two causes
First That "inviolable law" that
prices of raw material are the last to
respond during~ihfation ariods, and
the first to respond dung defiation,
but instead of inviolable law" 1
would substitute 3in the absence of as
ISOLATION or cooperative fort"
This Is demonstrated in late prices of
milk and 70 certain extent, indirect
ly, in butter and cheese.
The n. E. NJ. P. A. has of late been
able to fix prices for milk nearer TO
cost plus reasonable profit than ever
before, since having established the
necessary machinery for ascertaining
cost Of production.
Consider, Dir. Consumer, the high
cost OF hay, grain, labor as well as
a proportional share Of the Il. C. l..
taxes, etc. that have gone into the
production ca cheap hogs, calves.
hides, ealfsldns, wool and cotton
Fertilizer, seed, labor, etc, that en-
tered into the production Of our money
corps were highest ever. They pro-
dueed 60-cent corn, Accent oats, Is
cent wool, $50 wheat.
Second That beautiful theory
land It is fine IN the contemplation, but
not IN working outl Of President VIII
sons, who has written volumes upon
1t, and the Democratic party in gen
eral, that free raw material and pro
tected manufactured goods is condu-
Give tosthe greatest good to the great
est number OF people Of country in
the long run.
It has been tried and found want
ing. It proved to be class legisla-
ton Congress Is now trying To rec
tify the mistake and yet it is accused
by some of its MEMBERS IS class legis-
ton 70 again place farm products, or
raw material" upon the protected
list.
/ cannot believe men of such mar
row minds could reach Congress. /
maintain they are not American
enough to cling even to class legis-
lation for the benefit of their consti-
tuency rather than taking into con-
sideration the benefit of America as
a whole.
Some town and city people think
farmers have prospered in the last
five years. Let US see.
Show me farmer who has kept his
buildings in as good repair as they
were five years ago, and has main
tanned the fertility of the soil and we
can show you a farmer who has either
run IN debt, who has not made both
ends meet, or has had a good lumber
or pulp lot TO cut, or received a sub
stantial lift from some rich relative,
or something of the kind. / know this
positively to be the case as live near
quite number of farmers, steady,
hard working, enterprising as ever
could be found / have seen their
land, / have watched their crops from
year to year, observed their buildings,
and have talked with them. Very few
cases of Singing or painting came
under my observation.
I Travelled through southern New
England TO quite an extent a few
years ago and know that that section
Is Uttered with practically ruined
farms from selling milk and tobacco
at price that did not allow owners to
maintain fertility of their soil and
keep up their buildings.
o, they say, but nearly all farmers
own an auto.
Leaving out of consideration, to be
fair IN my arguments, all the ne'er-
dowells Of whom an auto is always
their undoing, a farmer generally
makes car save him a greater part
of their expense of running. There
are those who run autos, and there
are those who let the autos run
them
r. z pFPPy