The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-12-30
Six Farmers Figure
Decline In Prices at
Their Dollar Meal
By DAVID LAWRENCE
Copyright By tia mtslugsncer)

Washington. Dee. 2s.-Si1 practical
farmers, members OF the executive COM
miSee OF the National Grange. sat down
20 luncheon here. and. reYert.ng for the
moment TO the days of barter. they fig
ured out the decline In the prices OF
farm products in terms OF a dollar meal.
S. J. Lowell president of the National
Grange, said Il cost him four bushels
OF apples 10 get the dollar 20 pay for
his luncheon. During the war. Il would
have cost him only a peck Of apples. ".
II. Thompson. OF the Maine grange. IN
effect. had to pay oushel and 4 half
OF potatoes Instead of a peck watch was
the equivalent Of 4 dollar 4 year ago.
Leslie f. Smith, OF Massachusetts,, had
20 ofler two bushels OF onions as con-
traste6 with the war equivalent OF 4
peck OF onions. Charles W. Holman. os
Texas. could have gotten hts luncheon
FOR two pounds OF cotton IN war times.
hut now he had 10 contribute eleven
pounds OF cotton for the dollar. Prof
T. c. Atkeson. or West Virginia. insisted
that there had been little change on
wheat for while his meal cost him a
bali a bushel OF wheat. he would have
paid slightly less than that a year ago.
A. NJ. Lcomis. secretary OF the National
Grange. had to pay four pounds OF
cheese. whereas heretofore. the same
dollar meal would have been purchased
for two ard half pounds OF cheese.
Drop In Prices.
Tho situation brought about by the
decline in the prices OF farm products
brought the officers OF The grang7 90
Washington for 4 general talk on agrt-
cultural policies particularly. as II Will
affect the Harding administration. Sew
eral Of the officers are leaving for
Marion this week 70 discuss agriculture
with Mr.. Harding. They have reaa the
reports that Henry G. Wallace, OF Iowa.
has bean selected for secretary OF agrt-
culture. but would Offer no comment.
It Is said that they have men OF their
own 10 propose 10 Mr.. Harding. who
have had more experience as practical
farmers than Mr.. Wallace. but one OF
the group indicated that while Mr.. Wal
lace may not have been a farmer as
long as they thought necessary. never
thsleSs he had been on the farm more
wears than the appointees OF the past.
Here IS ~" Kind OF secretary OF a gr.-
culture the National Grange wanus:
"a practical farmer who should be not
only m sympathy with farmers. bur 80
Identified by ideas. vocation and effort
thar farmers wilt recognize him as one
OF themselves: the head OF the depart
mene must be q man around whom aS-
rlcuitural interests and WORKERS ~iil
rally with conhdepcs. in his leadership"
There's another thing tho grange
wants from President Harding's secre-
tary OF asriculture-a cost accouut-ag
sySten,athat will tell the people OF the
city cofiVincingly about the costs or the
farm. Other things affecting aGricuI-
ture to be discussed at Marion include a
permanent tariff. Some OF the members
OF .he grange look askan"e al the
emergency" character OF the present
tariff proposals. Some oT the duties arc
regarded az too high. and as likely 70
invite rcta:iacory tariff wars while
other schedules are considered far 100
low.
"wha. IN. farmers ought 20 have"
said s. J. Lowell. president OF the
grange rs q protective tariff that will
represent the difference IN the cost oc
production hero and abroad and nothing
more. I believe ihe job can be done
eduitably."
Cost Of Labor.
Mr.. Lowell said agricultural. cond!-
ticps throughout the country were dis
coura ging largely because the cost ot
labor had not core down. He said hs
looked for a drop In labor cost next
spring. He declared that while plenty
Fot labor was IN idlcn~sS the cost
wouldn't come down until some Of tho
savings oe the prosperous period
through which the nation had passed
were exhausted. But thar the cost OF
labor on the farm would come down he
had no doubt Whatsoever.
labor will come down. ne declared
smphaticaily. because IL must come
down. Otherwise the farmer cannot az
ford 10 produce the big crops needed 20
feed our immense population"
Opinions vary among members Of the
grange as 20 the length OF the porloG
necessary FOR a Compiete economic re-
adjustment. but there Is n feeling or
hope that ~" next administration NJ
be a Vita factor In helping the farmer
who feels that ne ought 70 ge; more for
his dollar since h" + beginning 70 Sivs
the consumer much more toodsturTs for
fhA fI,1tor