The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1921-08-09


larly interested in the answer to this
query, because he is in closer con-
tact with farming activity than the
city man, he is dependent upon farm
prosperity for his own welfare, and
the condition of agriculture, after
all, measures the hope Of the future
for every one Of us.
No positive forecast Of business
conditions during the next autumn
months can be given. Many Of us
may think we are prophets, but most
Of the worlds so-caIled seers have
proved to be nothing but guessers.
The coed ones have won praise for
their farsightedness and the poor
ones have been cursed as fools, but
they were all "guessers," neverthe-
less.
However. the matter may be ap-
preached with some degree of GER
tainty, especially after a careful
study of all the facts bearing upon
present conditions and the relation
Of those facts to what is reasonably
sure to take place in the near fu-
ture.
In the first place the farmer very
naturally joined the ranks Of those
who, many months ago, suddenly
stopped buying anything except
those articles which represented alb
solute necessities.
1t is not my purpose to blame any
one class for the slow re-adjust-
ment Of wartime prices, or for any
other irregularity that may have pre-
vailed. The simple truth is that
these Irregularities have prevailed; !;
and without taking time to scold, the
present job is to assist in every pos
sible way to bring things back to
level, to cut down the high peaks
and elevate the low spots, so that
there may be less of difference
between living costs and production
receipts.
The small town merchant may
find relief in the indisputatble fact
that the farming class, which is the
one that all of us must depend upon
for prosperity, can recover more
quickly from bad economic stu
alton than any other class. There
are several good reasons for this.
The farmer who owns his place,
always has his plant No one can
close up his shop, or burn it down,
or destroy it in any manner. The
farmers broad acres are always
there to yield something in the way
of returns, season after season, even
if those returns are not all that may
be desired. - ~SS~
The farmer always has his job.
1t may be hard one, and in many
ways unsatisfactory, but it is his
job and he has it as long as he
wants it The farmer is therefore,
in business, to some extent, all the
time. His powers of recovery are
accordingly better than those of
other lines of industry.
We must remember too, that
what we call estate of mind" has
a lot to do with business conditions.
And if it be true that time heals all
things, we are safe in saying that
the farmers mental condition will
sweeten as the months go by Put
one fair crop season in between an
abnormally profitable year and a
better year 1922 which we may
safely expect, and it is reasonable
to say that the farmer will be feel
ing much happier this fall. If he
does, he will begin to buy as he
once did.
There is no disputing the state
ment that we have a "buyer's mar
ket" among the farmers, at this
time, just as we have it in the cities.
We had sellers market a year
or so ago, and everybody grabbed
everything in sight, and paid all
sorts of fabulous prices, and trade
was drunk. That's it-business was
on the biggest jambouree of its ca
reer, and it was bound to wake up
some time with bad head.
Then, suddenly, the buyers took
charge Of the situation and stop
ped spending money. The city man
found that he could make clothes
wear twice as long, and that there
were a lot of things he could do
without.
And the farmer decided that he
could go for a considerable period
without buying machinery or new