Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-05-18
A PICTURE AND THE FARMER.

1t may be an o~verdrawn picture that
Herbert Myrick editor OF Farm and
Home" presented at Governor Smiths
hearing at Albany yesterday on the
daylight saving repeal bill. but it is
something to think about. He predict
ed butter at 50 q pound, eggs at So a
dozen, potatoes at $16 a bushel and
-four at $40 q barrel next winter. He
declared hat unless everything is done
to aid the farmer in producing food
stuffs famine threatens.
THE world scarcity of food today
means that the battle between life and
death, in the contest to produce food
for the ensuing year, must be fought
out largely during the next ninety
days" says Mr.. NIyrick. SHOULD
weather conditions be u~nfavorable
throughout the Northern Hemisphere
for the seriously reduced acreage in
crops, famine conditions may confront
the American people long before the
harvest or next year.
A picture of possible bread riots due
to food shortage was painted by Mr..
Myrick. who declared:
THE present food supplies in the
States are so low that should
the weather of June. July and August
be unfavorable. the crop shortage may
be followed by bread riots and even
worse next winter and spring. Yet
the masses are blind to all these
dangers and other ominous signs OF
the tines
1t was pointed out by other speak,
ers for farming interests hat one OF
the greatest drawbacks in food pro-
duction to-day is the lack of farm help
and that many farmers are cutting
down their acreage because they lack
facilities to work their farms properly
While there seems to be a tendency
for prices to fall and the outlook Is
for cheaper living as far as clothing
and general merchandise Is concerned,
there is little indication as yet of any
great falling off in the price of food.
This Is where the farmer comes in.
Discussing the situation back on
the farm" The Il and New York
Herald says:
"One of the truths which the
|try might as well look squarely in the
face is the present position and tenn
per of the American farmer. He a
been breaking his back under his bur-
den Of national production while his
own employe right alongside of him
has been holding him up for inordi-
nate wages. eating his head off at the
farmers cost and loafing through his
part of the work and production.
"The farmer has been plugging at
full capacity to make two blades OF
grass grew where n grew so as to
give an abundance of food for the ma
ton. But, just like his W hired
man" millions of the nations work
ers have refused to put in a solid a
Ito earn the bread and meat which the
farmer raises for them.
THE American farmer Is sick and
tired of the enormous tribe which re-
ports for only a few hours a day on the
lob and which does mighty little work
during these hours. The American
farmer is mad clean through over the
fact that he puts in twelve and four
teen hours when organized skilled
labor the country over puts in from
40 to SO per cent. less time and about
so per cent. fewer ticks. He has made
lup his mind that he will not work
himself to a standstill to feed and
lclothe millions of wage earners who
spend a good portion of their time
striking for higher pay. and then when
they get it will not arm it.
with their own arms the farmer
and his family can raise more tina
enough food products to nourish
themselves. With the prices which
would follow q diminished supply OF
food they can get enough to buy what
other n~ecessaries they require. They
can even put by some savings. So
by the tens of thousands h Ameri-
can armers are demanding of organ
lied labor a showdown as to whether
Ithey (the farmers) are going to do al
1.-THE work or whether everybody else is
going to do his share of the work.
If the organized non-workers OF
this country expect 10 go on living on
the fat of the land they will have to
meet the American farmer on his pro-
lposai thai the high production record
shall not be scored only back at the
farm"
1t Is apparent that higher wages are
mot going to do the working man any
good If there are no goods produced
tor crops planted and harvested. And
Farmers cannot plant potatoes tina