Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-02-10

tons of newspaper men regarding means for
reducing the high cost of living, Edwin T.
Meredith, the neW y-inStalled secretary OF agr-
culture, said last week that useless employees, no
matter in what line they may be engaged must
be released from nOn-prOductive work and given
an opportunity to become producers upon the
farm or in the factory. If this is done and if
obberS and retailers recognize the harm that
must ultimately come from prOfiteerlng on the
farmer and content themselves with a reasonable
profit, he said, the question of the high cost
Of living will largely solve itself to the perma-
nent good of all. But ucleSS the whole cOun-
try--ail business and all labor-doeS recognize
this as common problem and do the thi. gs
necessary to solve it, he continued, "leSS and
less will there be of farm produce to divide
among the whole people ana higher and higher
will go the price of that which is produced.'
81 am surprised" said Mr.. Meredith, "that
should have received the number of messages
have, particularly from daily papers, asking
what plans /, as secretary of agriculture, have
to reduce the high cost o. living, indicating
that the general feeling is that this is essentially
an agricultural problem. 1t is, of course, re-
lated to agriculture, but no more than to many
other lines of activity, and ! am tempted to be-
lieve that the solution of the problem lies
more in the hands of those interested in GiS-
in the hands of the farmers of the country.
GIVE FARMER SATISFACTORY CONDITIONS
"The farmers must certainly produce. They
have produced and will produce-that is their
so given satisfactory conditions they will do
their part, as the farmers of America have in
every situation or crisis that has faced the
country. But this question of satisfactory con-
ditionS is a big enc. 1t is not a satisfactory
condition for the farmer to receive reduced
prices for his pork, wheat, hides while the
prices of his machinery. lumber anu shoes are
raised 1t does rot conduce to pleasant frame
to greater production to be obliged to sell his
products for half or less than he later sees
them sold for at retail The dairy farmers of
the country wonder if they are treated fairly
when they receive thirty-five to forty cents
for butter and see it retail at eight-five cents
The poultry men wonder why, when they re-
ceye from forty cents to fifty cents for eggs,
they retail as high as dollar per dozen. The
hog growers wonder if they are not in 'haz
ardouS business when they buy fencing and all
other supplies at greatly increased prices and
then see their produce fall fifty per cent and
sold by them at an actual loss, in answer to
a demand on the part of the rest of the popu-
lation for reduced cost of living.
"The farmers of America" the new sec. etary
went on care willing to assume their part of
the responsibilities as American citizens in
meeting any problem threatening the welfare
and stability of our country, but this high cost
of living problem is mutual one and they ask
that it be approached by all the people as
common problem. They ask that those engaged
in distribution eliminate tn lost motion and
not put so great bIrden upon goduc' II as
there is upon it today. In othe words, they
ask that there be an adequate number of pro-
ducerS of wealth, an this includes property
and food of all kinds, and onl, such number of
distributors as is necessary to perform the Serv-
ices required. They ask that the banks, rail-
roads, wholesale houses, retail establishments,
factories, all of which are vitality necessary to
the farm and recognized by him as such, be
Speeded up along with him. that the work now
done by three men may be done. if possible, by
two, and the burden of transportation and dis
tribution be thereby lightened. If the factory
executive will speed up his plant that there
may be two days labor in The supplies, machin-
cry, or what not, that the farmer buys, rather
than three days labor, the article will cost the
farmer that much less, his oft be INCREASED,
and his production stimulated more men eStay
on the farm more men go to the farm
PUT USELESS EMPLOYEES AT PRODUCTIVE
WORK
Business men must look to the operation
of their establishments, matter in what line
they may be engaged, and see that no useless
employee is retained to add to the cost of dis
tributing what the farmer now produces. Use