Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-05-23
FARM LABOR SITUATION
BECOMING MORE SERIOUS
america and World I'm For Much
Suffering Unless Relief Is
Forthcoming.
FOOD SUPPLY HAMpERED
Modcrn Farming Is ~ Gamble Duo
10 Fact That Producers Are In
anic to Secure Help and Compete
with City Employers.

Unless the exodus from the farm
~ INC city, which Is Increasing at
and some sor, rate o can be checked
.neht or economic conditions SUR
oumdihs production and distribution
~, &c MADE. this country. as well as tho
according to statement OF Assistant
SSvinih'ssioner OF Agriculture ]. J.
According to Commissioner owen
production Of foodstuns In seriously
threatened. not only by lack OF labor
AZ reasonable or possible prices. but
cos,s account for or the pyramidins OF
70 ouy. IL Is declared TIA, the
lhrmer Ia not getting relative in
creased price for his products.
This country lis at the parting of
1he IN. WAYS as regards It's food sup
1 Inus' be done. and at once, TO re-
production OF fooi on the farms.
I'm Serious Situation.
The farmer In in n serious situa-
ton. and one from which he seems
unable to cNtricaic himself. He can
nI"t employ labor in competition with
the high wages that arc being paid
In tho cities and on public works.
He cannot buy the farm tlachincry
/. I" take the place OF labor at the
the price OF his products and have
some assurance that ne will get a
LIVING price for future crops.
,n ParminE isa gamble The farmer
gambling on q profitable price that
may or may no, be obtainablc six
months or year hence. Tho aver
age farmer cannot produce crops Al
pront at the present cost o, labor
and everything that 10 necessary to
the making OF his crop. lie cannot
aHori 10 pay The price. gambling on
II better price after his crop has been
produced.
There is pressure everywhere for
lower prices OF necessities. There ~
IN and do something TO reduce prices
IL price of food il reduced and no
relative reduction In made IN the
price OF labor and materials used on
the farm the farmer stands ITO lose
seriously and just now he is either
AFRAID or he is unable to make the
gamble.
Nnt Getting Just share.
81; must be remembered that the
farmer t. not getting his just share
OF the high prices tina, are being
PAID Tor farm products by the ul,i-
mate consumer. II the farmer got :,
more reasonable share OF tho pre!
Hnilinr high price demanded from tn.
consumer n" might be able to meet
the competition OF high labor and
materials
Statistics show that of the eieh-
teen billions OF wealth produced by
tho farmer In this country last year
-
II Scvtnty-hvc per cent or IS cents
or "rcry dollas he produced went
Into the hands OF middlcmcn and ex-
p!oiters, who. produce nothing The
farmer should be given credit for the
fullest measure Of patriotism during
tho recent world cataciysm. Manu-
faoturers and big business were fed
on cash. while the farmer was fed
up on patriotism. The farmer aid
his duty. strained every nerve TO pro-
dusc food for the starving world. lie
while all about him he saw hundreds
ana thousands OF men develop into
miilionaires through advantages
given them by the war.
Cites nm EXAMPLE
Il VIII cite an example OF what
the farmer has had to accent: The
E EpSsr nNeh the price OF best
hushel. This looked good as against
: bushel. considered good price
before the war
The grading being principally in
the hands OF the miilcrs. the farme-
Eot on an average only about So for
his wheat. The price OF his wheat
Was doubled at that. but II must be-
-FOUR times or more higher than he :
fore. Price OF fertilizer. machinery
and other supplies has increased 400
and 900 per cent. The farmer is NOT
WITH 81 wheat.
There has heen no liking of prices
or farm machinery and labor, but the
price OF wheat Is fixed and the miller
mas been allowed TO grade the wheat.
thereby practically controlling the
price.
This is true in measure In all
other products OF the farm While II
is true that he is getting more than
formerly lie is not getting a price
equal 10 that he has TO pay for every
thing he has TO buy.
Has Mistaken Idcn
Tho consum1~in the city who buyy
food has n mistaken idea that the
farmer is rolling In, wealth. The fact