Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1920-02-20
NEW SECRETARY OF AGRICUIr
TURE DISCUSSES HIGH COST
OF LIVING

answering questions of newspaper
men today regarding means for re-
ducing the high cost Of living, Ed
win T. Meredith, the newly installed
secretary of agriculture, said 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. II this is done and If job
bers and retailers recognize the
harm that must ultimately come
from profiteering on the farmer and
content themselves with reasonable
profit, he said, the question of the
high cost OF living will largely solve
itself TO the permanent good of all.
But unless the whole country-all
business and all labor---does recog-
nize this as common problem and
do the things necessary to solve it,
he continued, less and less will
there be of farm produce to divide
among the whole people and higher
and higher will go the price of that
which is produced
Il am surprised" said Mr. Mere
dith, that | should have received
the number of messages | have, par
ticularly from daily papers, asking
what plan l, as secretary of agricul-
ture, have to reduce the high cost of
living, indicating that the general
feeling is that this is essentially an
agricultural problem. 1t is of
course, related TO agriculture, but
no more than to many other lines of
activity, and / am tempted to be-
lieve that the solution of the prob
lem lies more in the hands of those
interested in distribution and non
productive enterprises than in the
hands of the farmers of the country.
The farmers must certainly pro-
duce. They have produced and will
produce--that is their business.
They are on peace measure basis,
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-
ditons is big one. 1t is not sat
isfactory condition for the farmer
to receive reduced prices for his
pork. wheat, hides, while the price
of machinery, lumber and shoes are
raised 1t does not conduce to a
pleasant frame of mind on the part
of the farmer or spur him to great
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 80 to 40 cents for
butter and see it retail at 50 cents.
The poultry men wonder why, when
they receive from 40 cents to 50
cents for eggs, they retail as high
as a dollar per dozen. The hog
growers wonder if they are not in
hazardous business when they buy
fencing and all other supplies at
greatly increased prices, and then
see their produce fall so per cent
and sold by them at an actual loss,
in answer to a demand on the part
Of the rest of the population for a
reduced cost of living
The farmers of America" the
new secretary went on, ARE willing
to assume their part of the response
bilities as American citizens in meet
ing any problem threatening the well
fare and stability of our country,
but this high cost of living problem
is a mutual one. and they ask that
ii be approached by all the people
as common problem. They ask
that those engaged in distribution
tiilllhaA0 NHt lOSt uiOliOu ana not
put so great a burden upon produc-
tion as there is upon it today In
other words, they ask that there
be an adequate number of producers
of wealth, and this includes property
and food OF all kinds. and only such
number of distributors as is neces-
sary TO perform the services re-
quired. They ask that the banks.
establishments, factories, all of
which are vitality necessary to the
farmer and recognized by him as
such, be speeded up along with him.
that the work now done by three
men be done. if possible, by two.
and the burden of transportation
and distribution be thereby light.
ened. If the factory executive will
speed up his plant that there NAV