River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1921-07-28
FARM PROFITS COMING BACK

equal to reaction in the opposite d.
rection. For instance, pendulum
always swings almost as far one way
as it went in the opposite direction on
the preceding swing. A slight tap
when it starts back may send it far
Their than it went on the up stroke.
Business has its UPS and downs as
does the pendulum. In many respects
business expansions and depressions
are almot as regular as the ticking
of the clock. When business reaches
the peak of its climb we can always
rest assured that there will be de-
cline at least nearly as far. The
world was really served as vigorous
push rather than a light tap on the
business pendulum of the world and
sent it up and up almost to its zenith
in fact, many feared the force OF the
impact would cause it to dash from
the beaten path and crash to destruc-
ton. But the upward swing stopped
before the break, and for the last
wear and a half we have been wit
Messing the backward swing.
Many facts indicates that it is now
about time for the business pendulum
of the United States to return in the
direction of business recovery. And
in the revival of business which is
sure to occur, we anticipate that
farming will be one of the first lines
of business to be benefited.
There are several reasons why the
farmer should now take an optomls-
tic view of his business situation.
The wheat carry over from this sea-
son has been the smallest in years.
The latest information indicates that
the 1921 crop is no larger than the
1920 crop.
Stocks of wheat at terminals and
in country elevators are reported to
be more than so percent lower than
year ago. The visible supply is the
smallest in eighteen years.
Add to all this the determination OF
the farmers of this country to take
hand in the marketing of their own
products, which most assuredly Will
result in farmers getting better pric-
es or at least getting a larger per-
centage of the final selling price
of their stuff, together with the prob
able reduction in freight rates, and
we have ample reason for feeling OPP
timistic in regard to the situation the
farmer will find himself in few
months hence.
There are other favorable signs and
we will admit few clouds on the |
horizon, but taking it all in all the |
situation warrants reasonable optlm-
ism. Better times for agriculture are
coming soon. The farmers who prof
it most during the next few years
will be those who keep eyes and ears
wide open for every bit of information
that will help them to judge what IS
best for them to do in the conduct OF
their own business.
Buy the things you need to enable
you to produce crops and livestock
economically. If you can cut the cost
of producing a bushel of wheat by IL
cents, that is equivalent to getting 10
cents bushel more for it.
The supply of flour in the hands OF
merchants as well as consumers is
very low. There was 20 percent less
flour manufactured during the year
ending June LIST than during the pre-
ceding year.
Of vital interest to farmers is the
fact that there is decided shortage
in livestock. If per CAPITA consump-
ton of meat and meat products were
suddenly to return to normal the de-
mand for meat would be far greater
than the supply.
During the first five months Of
1921 there were 7,716 business fail
ures in the United States as compared
with 2,67S for the corresponding per-
iod of 1920. An expert statistician
estimates that at present there are
about three million persons ordinarily
employed in industries in the United
States out of employment. 1t has
been demonstrated that the family
of a man who has employment con-
sumes three times as much of the
things people eat, wear and use, as
it does when the head of the family
is out of employment. Latest infor-
nation indicates that the number of
unemployed has probably reached the
maximum and that unemployment is
now on the decline.
One can readily see that as work
ers in textile mills, shoe factories,
automobile factories, furniture factor
les, ETC., are resuming employment,