The Neshoba Democrat., 1921-12-08
DRAWS DARK PICTURE
OF our FARMERS.

| Are our farmers the worst off class
In America to-day? I" Forbes" re-
Gently made the statement that
grain was being marketed in unpre-
cedented volume at prices which
were enabling farmers to reduce
their debts ADD resume at least mod
crate spending. G. j. Williams OF
the Campaign County. Illinois Farm
Bureau, says this is not SO. He
writes:
"Grain prices to day are colnpar-
atively lower than at any time In
our history. Yesterday, for exam
pie, | visited several elevators where
the highest prices offered for No. Q
coan was "a l2 cents and new corn
of No. 4 grade 30 cents The farmers
today. contrary to your editorials.
are facing disaster. More than 60
percent of the tenant farmers of Ill.
are insolvent and many farm own
ers are just as involved. This condi-
tion, | understand, is equally true OF
Indiana, Ohio, Nebraska and
Missouri. In fact, the most favored
agricultural section of the United
States, which comprises the surplus
producing States, is faciug actual
bankruptcy. How can the aericul-
tural population of this country con
tinue to produce when their com
modify does not pay overhead ex-
penses? The answer is found in two
facts. First, that many farmers by
frugality and hard work of their
families have saved a surplus which
is now their saliva tion. Second, that
new credits are being extended.
EARNS in this State which never
before were mortgaged are now Sc
curity for operating expenses.
"You speak of banks liquidating
their loans In farming communities.
This process is accomplished not
by virture Of selling the grain crops,
which net negligible income, but
py putting the old home under haayrs
mortgage. pray, do not think /
am a calamity howler. | am not.
But think it impossible to exagger-
ate the seriousness OF the present
situation. "A fair presentation of
these facts in your pages might do
much to correct the misconcieyed
idea OF those in the Industrial CEN
ters, who not knowing, take such
statements ais have recently been
presented in "Forbes" as meaning
that the farmer is probably the
most favored OF all industrial class
es."
Now read what the National CITY
Bank OF New York says:
Corn exports in the nine months
ending with September are los 900, 900
bushels against only IL, 900, 900 in the
same months OF last year. and will
show bigger total in the calendar
year 1921 than at any time in the
past twenty years, Wheat exports
IN nine mouths ending with Sept.
We're nearly 3O0U00,0oO bushels lin.
cludiDg flour in terms of wheat) as
against about 200, ,0U0 900 in the same
mouths OF last year, and it is QUITE
apparent that the total exports OF
wheat in the calendar year 1921 will
exceed those OF any earlier year in
the history OF our export trade.
Rice also makes by far it's highest
export record in 1921. Barley exports
are also far in excess of those last
year"
Forbes" never even limited that
"the farlnar is probably the most
favored of all industrial elasses'' at
present. All that was said or i'm
piled was that farmers have been
paying debts and resuming pur-
chases, which is the literal truth
VI course, our agricultural popula-
tion cannotprosper while what they
have to sell has fallen almost to pre-.
war prices whereas most OF the
things they have to buy are still on
a much higher level. This gap how
ever, must and viii become narrower
Meanwhile, unlike our vast army
OF unemployed workinen. the farm |
ers still have their jobs, aud still
have their property. Many work |
ers and many business men now
have neither. More over. the Gov
ernment has done more to facilitate
the borrowing of funds by farmers
than Tor any Other class. Farmers
who couldn't make and save money
dnring the period they were reciev-
Ing abnormally high prices for their
products are not tit to be farmers.
Forbes.
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