The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-07-17
BUYERS STRIKE |S. CALLED BY ALLGOOD.
 ON ALL MACHINERY.
Says Prices Must Be Reduced and Will Carry His Fight to Other
 States


 Montgomery, July 16.--(Special )- Farmers of Alabama were called upon by NJ. C. AllKood. state com- missioner of agriculture, today to go on buyers strike against farm machinery and implements until the manufacturers reduce prices. Con- missioner Allgood said he intended to take up the matter with the depart ments of agriculture of other states in the hope that an organization.may y be perfected which can bring the sub ject to the attention of Congress m an appeal for an investigayon.
 The statement declared that while farmers products bring only small fraction of the prices paid during the war the manufacturers of farmers supplies are now charging 100 per cent more than they charged before the war began. He said the farmers cannot stand the stra.n and that un- less prices are reduced the farmers should have local mechanics mako the implements needed or should Dor. row from their neglhbors.
 AIIEood's Statement
 Commissioner Allgood's statemdl t follows;
 The prices of farmers products are lower than in 1916. but the prices of manufactured articles which the farmer has to buy are about 100 per cent higher than in l916. Especially Is this true in regard to hardware or farming implements. Hardware dealers held meeting and tried to get the manufacturers to cut prices -on their products in keeping with the prices of the farmers products so that the farmers could and would buy and thus keep business stimn- . lated. but the manufacturers paid no heed to them. No, they do not intend to take any loses they do not in tend to even charge off some of their profits, and farmers and consumers are continuing to pay wartime prices for hardware and farm machinery. There has been about 20 per cent re- duction, but w.h pr\as stiS double what they were in 1916 you can ap- preciate the condition of the farmer who has to buy blow ponts, blows, hoes. rakes. heelbolts, wire fencins harness, chains, single trees, plow stocks, spades, wagons. wheel bar rows. cultivators, planters, threshers, moving machines and everything else of this character Farmers can not perform miracles so they cannot continue to pay wartime prices for manufactured products and produce and sell at deflation prices
 Consumers In Towns
 Millions of consumers living Tn towns or cites who are either out of work or have their wages or salaries s reduced are vitally interested in eco homie questions of this nature be- cause they virtually help pay tor what the farmer has to buy to as- sst him in producing his crops Again. the law of supply and demand holds good here. 2 With the cost of production high and with buyins power of the consumer weak there is not that general incentive to farm that there would be if conditions were normal This has a tendency to cause low yields on the farms and higher prices to the consumers. We will have better times when we have increased yields accompanied by a lower cost of production.
 The implement trusts have spen1 money In advertisements in farm journals trying to sustain and jus tify their prices. 1t is mighty hart to show a farmer the justice of hay ing to pay as much again as he did In 1916 for his manufactured prod ucts in the face of the fact that his crops are selling for less than they did in 1916. And, as compared [, wartime prices. cotton farmers frn western corn farmers products went from s1.S0 to 40c; wheat farmers products from $40 to sl.25; sugar farmers products from 20c to 5c cattle farmers products from 20c .o 6c. while rice, peanut and wool grow CTS have practically had no market whatever for their products. It E time for the farmers in the United States to declare war against the i'm plement trusts. keep out of the hardware stores, do not patronizs mail order houses. This is the be- ginning of the contract season with the manufacturers, and for the bene- fit of the dealers I will say that we are going to wage campaign among the farmers and farmer organiza- tions in this state against the trust prices. I am also taking this matter up with every commissioner of aGri- culture in the United States to the end that similar campaign be put on In every state in the union. The friends of the farmers and consumers in Congress should also investigate this matter. Have your local mechanics and blacksmiths make or repair the things you must have, or borrow your neighbor's until prices come t. the level of those of 1916.
 c. x.f,ft : stocks on hand and some have shut down rather than cut the prices; therefore high prices cannot be at- tributsd to scarcity of products There are some manufacturers wnc had enormous stocks on hand when the advance in prices came and they did not fail to follow the advance on them. Farmers should see to it that they follow the market now