Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1920-02-06
Unrest Is Rife Among Farmers,
Survey Shows.

test anu ulSSdliSidCllOH dluOLB tic ldiliCAo
Of the country so threatening as likely to
disturb the existing economic structure,
is considered by government officials to be
revealed in more than 10000 replies to
a QUESTIONABLE recently sent out by the
Postoffice Department.
The replies as thus far digested were
summarized in report prepared by the
Superintendent Of the Postoffice Depart
ment's division Of rural mails, and read
to the Senate Postoffice Committee. The
view Of the 10000 or more farmers were
obtained by the broadcasting Of 100000
copies Of QUESTIONABLE asking for sugees
tons whereby the Postoffice Department
might aid in cutting down the cost Of living.
Answers to the questionnaires as summa-
rized by the officials show the major COM
plants Of the farmers in numerical order
to be:
Inability to obtain labor to work the
farms. hired help and the farmers chill
dren having been lured to the city by
higher wages and easier living
High profits taken by middlemen for the
mere handling of food products; and,
Lack Of proper agencies of contract be-
tween the farmer and the ultimate con-
sumner.
Excerpts from number Of letters, taken
at random from the more than 10000 al
ready on file at the POstoffice Department,
showed the trend Of thought among at
least considerable proportion Of the farm
ers of New England the middle Western
States. Georgia. and the Eastern agricul-
tural section.
THE time is very near" wrote farmer
at East Chatham, N. T.. when we farmers
will have to curtail production and raise
only what we need for our use and let the
other fellows look out for themselves. Labor
unions are more to blame for the high
prices than anyone else. People are try
ing to get pay for what they don't earn
II almost fear a famine. Farm help
everywhere is flockins to the city, lured
by short hours, high wages and the prom
Use Of a good time. Someone, fear, is
going to suffer II this condition is not rene
died shortly"
Declaring that the whole onus Of the
high cost Of living rests with the middle
man. another Missouri producer advocated
the establishment Of municipal markets to
be served by parcel post direct"
81 sell butter to the dealer for 40 cents
a pound" his letter said. land the same
butter sells to the consumer for 80 cents
a pound In the distribution we lose nearly
half, and we lose money on the butter at
the first price. Such conditions are caus-
ing the farmers to leave the farm by the
thousands. We have reached crisis.
You may ask what we would do with the
ranged for them to 60 on the farm and
help produce things. understand that
they might not relish working ID hours a
day, but If we get by the near future there
will have to be some useful work done by
everyone.
Declaring that he works 240-acre farm
without help and that hundreds of other
farmers are doing the same. a Revere,
Mo-, man declared that the place to start
to lower the cost OF living is to cut the
WAGES in the city, which have called our
farm help there. We need them on the
farm to help increase production and then
we can cut the cost of living"
His return for last year averaged 81 a
day for himself, Whitewater, Mo-. man
said: Il hope soon to see the farmer and
consumer going hand in hand. II not
then am quitting for one. Work four
teen hours a day for 81 and let the mid
dleman get the biggest part Of it No
me-"
Il have just finished figuring up wha
the eggs. poultry and cream that sole
last year brought me-" another farmer
said. land will not be in the business
next year"
The tendency away from the farm t
the city was blamed by another middle
western farmer for the high cost of living
Il attribute it a great DEAL" he wrote
ito the good times in the cities. The younl
men can 60 to the city and get big pa,
for eight yours work, while farmers hav,
to work IA to 16 hours day at hard man
ual labor. All the young men in this vi
cinity Of any account 60 to the city an
there are only few old men left to farm.
Declaring that while the farmer has t
take what the commission man and retaile
will pay him for his product, he is com
PEELED to pay whatever the dealer asks 70
his clothes. farm machinery and othe
necessities. Another farmer said;
Farmers work from IL to is hours
day. City labor work 6 to hours da,
The city man makes two or three times a
much as the farmer. The farmer labor
and produces but gets a smaller retur
than any other class"
1.-THE time is coming. If not here" an
other letter declared, when the consume
and the farmer will absolutely have I
deal direct with one another. The middle
men want larger profit than we are Get
ting. while at the same time the farme
does the hard work"
Declaring that great evils confront u
today and hypocricy is in full sway"
letter from a Haeerstown. Nd. farme
reads 10 reduce the cost of my foodstufI
to the consumer you must first furnish m
with first-ciass labor at reasonable wage
and, second. you must eliminate thousand
of middlemen who are robbine the peopl
wholesale"
THE price Of everything the farmer ha
to buy is still going up and the quantit
we can raise and put on the market
steadily going down" Missouri farme
wrote: Il am a small farmer aud don
know much else. We are all loyal citizen
but there is an awful uneasiness."
a - III