The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-12-08

which hs dos Dot underAhsa .ss
cannot run. No one Is really ~.
ABOUT this process except ~ =,
mate consumer, and he il - ~
happy because he is not 0siv r
ultimate consumer who sets n.
duced price, but also the shoss.
er, the manufacturer and ths Isss
er, who lose money. The onlv ss.s.
which really stands to make ! -.
gain u the salaried class ~
course. salaries may come -.
but they viii not come dow = ~
Idly or easily as wages.
The government employA n, !.
ample, who got an inadeouats ~
Of 50 per cent during the M :. ~
almost starved, may soon ina -
self better OF than some frisnS +.
his who runs store, and -
made barrels Of money durin, n
war, but who is now in a "a d
lose some of it.
So the salaried man, il he n, !.
sist reduction. stands to ssin .
every one else stands to lose q
apparently there is no way to AVA
this loss except to pass II On "a ~
other fellow. That is what az,
one is trying to do.
Consider the apple, f@ insla,..
You still pay 5 cents apiece. q 4
cents for three, selected Ben Da,;.
apples at a fruit stand on 4 II.
street. Do you know what N.
farmer got for those apples, VA
farmers near her got about y :.
barrel. The empty wooden har,.l.
in which they pack the apples 80 !,
them $1.25 each. The cost OF hss.
ing the apples picked was a css,.
q barrel. By the time he had haulss
the apples to q railway station. ~
farmer was lucky il he broke e,AN
Many a farmer left the apples haas.
ing on the trees. Many snoths,
took them to cider mill, had IL
juice pressed out, let it get ham
and tried to drown his sorrow n 4
| Farmer Loses.
What does this mean! It mea,,
primarily that the farmer IL ~
first goat. He is the goat also 4
wheat. Wheat that it costs hin
$2.16 . bushel to raise, accordirr
kto the department of Agriculture
recently brought in the market SlE
a bushel. But do you notice TIM
bread is any cheaper, or in say.
thing like the proportion that whsit
has declined in price? You do no,
| You, the consumer, are the mi
at one end, and the farmer ID IL
goat at the other end, as il the i.
borer. The farmer is really 4 b.
borer in most cases. although he i.
just beginning to realize the iact
That is, he has neither the capial
nor the organization to enable In
to hold out. He must sell the sVelt
Of his brow day by Gay. or at Ian
year by year, in order to live, 4
Idoes the working man.
! Hence the wholesaler, the jobba
and the retailer, who have capihl
and organization, are able to mi
on the loss in staples to the farmer
and keep up the price to the cod.
sumner. The wholesaler says to u,
retailer: Il cannot sell you appla
much cheaper this year than last,
the price must be kept up" But /.
the farmer he points out that h
is heavily stocked with foodstul
and that the people are not buyilI
them. He does not really need 4
many apples this year. He Offer
/. 81 q barrel, and says: TAKE II o
leave it." The farmer has to tal
it. He has no storage facilities, lal
j no money. He has to sell, but u
, wholesaler does not have to buy. A
least, his need is not nearly .
, pressing.
So the farmer and laborer At %
. end lose money. and the consume
at the other still pays high pfice'
while the great organized industs
, of distribution and manufactpl
, stands pat.
- Nevertheless, it is not happy.
is killing the goose that laid u
, golden egg. 1t faces a dwindli1
l, demand. and it can stimulate q
! mand only by reducing prices.
FL So, slowly, with much sweat u
| suffering, We get back to what o.
. president-elect calls normally"