Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-23
DEFENDS FARMERS
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twenty millions of people taken out Of the
line OF producers and sent to the armies Of
the world. Aside from that, many millions
more have been taken from the ordinary
food production and placed TO the pro-
dnction Of war supplies.
GOVERNMENT WHEAT PRICES.
"The United States has had taken from
its ordinary pursuits four millions OF
young, active men, together with many
millions more taken from the production
OF ordinary food stuffs To the building Of
ships and the manufacture Of war muni-
tions. This Of itself would greatly curtail
the production.
"1he United States has loaned to the
European powers ten thousand millions Of
dollars to be expended in food stuffs and
supplies from this country The price Of
commodities in this country is largely con
trolled by the export prices.
"The prices paid by these European
nations have been exorbitsnt prices, and
these exorbitnnt prices have fixed the
home prices Of these materials, so that
we find manufacturers, the producers Of
war materials, making their millions from
these inflated prices-but, ladies and
gentlemen, the farmers have not been
Increases. The Government has fixed the
price of your wheat, has fixed the price OF
your wheat so that it would not pay
for its sowing, harvesting and threshing.
GovERsMEsT MADE s23, ,000,O
"By forming a corporation under the.
laws of our own State, the Government
bought up all of the wheat Of this country
and sold il, in many instances, at an ad-
vanced price, abroad. Indeed, this grain
corporation, a corporation of the govern
ment. cleared in its sale of wheat, approx
nately s23 .OcO. 600 all Of which should
have gone into the pockets Of the pro-
ducers, the farmers.
"The prices Of the fertilizers that you
were compelled to buy, the machinery to
harvest your crops, have advanced many
fold. The Government did not attempt
To control these prices. The labor you
were compelled 20 employ advanced IN
proportion TO the amount those mantfac-
turers who were making their millions,
were able to pay; hence the cost Of pro-
duction TO the farmers was Infinitely IN
creased.
"The prices that he was permitted 70
obtain were controlled by the Govern
ment. Hewas not able 10 meet his obllga-
tions Not only were the wages per day
increased, but he was compelled 10
accept hours Of labor for help as pre-
scribed by the manufacturers and instItu-
tions producing war materials.
"Yet the greatest problems Of all rest
upon the producers Of food stuffs You
were patriotic enough TO increase your
acreage You were patriotic enough 10
give many hours Of time to the employ
ment-more than was gwen BY the ordi-
nary laborer.
'As result Of this we are. today, facirg
a condition that is most serious. Tic
farmer is not able TO secure help on bis
farm. He is seeding less acreage, thus
curtailing the production, the only possible
means Of lessening the cost Of living.
And yet we cannot blame you; we
cannot ask you 70 give your time, your
labor, and the expense Of your seed, with
the positive knowledge you will not be
able 10 harvest your crops. / understand
that within radius of few miles Of Lam
caster, Penn. that there are today twenty
seven farms of the very best quality, on
which not a single furrow has been turned
this wear. This same condition ls true
OF the middle West.
MILLIONS OF ACRES IDLE.
Reports made by rural school directors
actlrg as local representatives OF tne
United States Bureau of Crop Estimates
to the Secretary of State in Michigan
show that there are at present Is ,232 idle
farms in the State, as compared with
1881 a year ago. On these idle farms
there are &c, 800 vacant buildings, 10000
of which have been deserted within the
last wear The extent of these idle farms
is estimated 10 be nearly 100000
acres.
NO nation can have its people 20
hungry and still prosper. Whether the
solution is to divide all farms into SNAKE,
one-man firms, or the billion-dollar method
am not prepared to discuss at this dat
''But your cause is the nations cause,
and your hours of work must be placed
upon the same baiss as the hours of work
OF Other callins OF life. Your social sur
roul Il Is must be made as pleasant ard
attractive as those of your brother working
in other industries. All conditions must
be ABUSED to the rev era which We tind
following the worlds great war.