Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-01-29
FARMERS, LIVING COST

Every once in a while somebody who
is running up and down the country try
ing to find the man who started this I'M
popular movement known as the II. c.
Of l.. rushes in and tells us that the
farmer is the man who is to be blamed
for the whole situation. OF course IL is
the farmer, says this energetic indivi-
dual. Are not all food products going
up out of sight of the ordinary buyer?
And doesn't the farmer raise food pro-
ducts and set the prices on them? And
why should food be any higher to-day
than 1t was in 1914? The Industrial
laborer and the city consumer are all
asking these questions in more or less
frankness
Why should we pay double what we
paid four years ago for the same food ?
laborers all over the country are ask
ing. They raise storm of protest over
food prices. declaring that the farmer is
profiteering at their expense. Then they
Immediately strike and demand more
wages.
Somehow. the city dweller, especially
to look upon the country farmer as a
sort Of institution which goes on pro-
ducing food year after year for the con-
sumption of the rest of mankind without
any increase in cost. The farmer has
no needs of his own, reasons the city
laborer Does not the farmer raise all
house to live in? Is he not Independent
of the world, the ruler of his own little
universe? Then why should he arbitrar-
lily raise the price of food and try to
starve the poor working man? These
are some Of the questions which are be-
ing asked in the cities to-day
Is the farmer really profiteering? If
the farm is such a good paying bust
ness, why do not some of the city work.
ers who complain of being robbed leave
their work and try farming. There is
hardly man doing industrial labor to-
day who would do the work which the
farmer has to do for the money which
he makes. With many men in the in
dustries receiving 81, So and 50 a day for
eight hours work, are there likely to be
among the industrial laborers many who
would work from dawn till long after
dark for the living wage which the
farmer receives? We doubt it,
Why have food prices gone up? The
continually raising Of wages strikes and
demands for more money and shorter
working hours. less production which
added to higher wages for that produc-
ton, mean increased costs of the
manufactured product, all help to boost
the cost of living still higher And the
farmer is not independent Of the world.
as many people seem to think The
farmer and his family have to have
shoes and clothes, farming tools, furni-
ture. and many other things which have
to be bought in the open market. He
has to buy much of the grain which he
feeds to his stock. and he is not any
more Independent of prices than is the
Industrial laborer. Without figuring in
the value of his labor, he must raise the
price of the products which he sells in
order to get enough to live
And what if the farmer should strike
for higher wages and shorter hours?
What if he should insist on SO for an
eight hour day, five day week. and
this should happen and your baby should
be left without milk, your family with
out food, because the farmers had re-
fused to produce until they got what
they wanted? Did you ever think OF
this? And has not the farmer as much
right to hold up production as others
if he does not feel that the world is
treating him properly?
If every industrial worker in this coun.
try could be made to understand that
every time he strikes and holds up pro-
duction. he automatically raises the
price of the loaf of bread which goes on
his own table, would he not think sew
eral time before he walked out from his
work? OF course, there are working
conditions, which undoubtedly need
remedying. but there are other ways to
remedy them beside stopping produo
ton and these ways must be used if the
country is to be saved.