Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1921-11-17
BURN CORN AS FUEL
FOR WINTER MONTHS
MANY AUDUBON co. FARMERS
HOLD THAT VIEW UNDER
PRESENT CONDITIONS.

Many farmers in Audubon coun-
ty have held to the view that burn
ing corn as fuel would be their only
salvation, inasmuch as corn is en-
tirely too low to permit the farmer
realizing anything from his crop in
order to buy the other necessities of
life.
Claus Hansen, a farmer living
near Persia, small town north OF
Audubon, is an advocate under ex-
listing conditions of burning corn for
fuel and makes a clean-cut state
ment of his reasons for his convic-
lions, that cannot help but have an
effect on the farmers of the state.
He said there was large surplus
of corn in the country-more than
the people could or would consume.
The consequence of this over-supply
was a price far below the>cost of pro-
duction to corn growers. The big
question in this situation. in the
Judgment of Mr.. Hansen, is to dis
pose of the surplus. Until this is
done the price will not rise to
point where the farmer will realize
a profit for his labor and investment
in corn growing.
There are about forty million
farmers In this country" said Mr..
Hansen eff these farmers burn an
average OF 200 bushels OF corn for
fuel they will dispose of 100000, 900
bushels in this manner. The corn is
worth more for fuel at present prices
than coal. The farmers in pursuing
this plan, therefore, will save money
in one direction and will probably
get as much for the corn they have
left as they would get for the entire
crop IL II were placed on the market
as conditions now exist.
IT am not unmindful of the preju-
dice which exists In the minds Of
many people," declared Mr.. Hansen,
against the use OF necessary food
product for fuel. But 1t is a con-
dition and not a theory which we
confront. This year. the farmers Of
the south had a very light cotton
crop. The result is living price
for what they did produce. The
facts are that the cotton farmers are
getting more money for light crop
of this staple article than they would
have received for a heavy crop. The
same principle applies in the grow
ing OF corn. Shall rye allow this
surplus corn to rot in the cribs Of
Iowa farmers or shall We use 1t as
fuel? I contend that the most
sensible and economically sound
method OF disposition. is to burn as
fuel rather than sell at present prices
and buy coal"
Mr.. Hansen says the state college
figured that II cost the farmers "a
cents per bushel to grow corn three
years ago when farm labor was
around $50 per month and land was
valued at $500 per acre. He thinks
this estimate too high now. With
farm labor costing $40 per month
and land valued at $500 per acre the
cost of growing corn would be from
fifty to sixty cents per bushel. 1t is
now selling in central Iowa at %
cents per bushel.
This iowa farmer made clear the
fact that he had no Interior motives
in mind In this connection He does
not have II in mind to force people
who are not farmers to pay more for
their food products. He points to
the fact that under the present con-
ditions the farmers connot be good
customers of the manufacturing and
other business institutions of the
country. They have no resources
under present prices with which to
buy. Maybe the advance in the cost
of corn products to point where
the farmers would realize a little
profit in the growing would be felt
by the factory workers who produce
- - o.. 81 A 70 mr.
and his family but in the present
situation the farmer has no money to
buy and the factory worker has no
Job. Our interests, therefore, as Mr..
Hansen sees the situation, are ident-
ical. We are all interdependent upon
each other. His idea now is that
the one big problem is to dispose of
this corn surplus in the country.
He believes this can be best accomp-
lished by burning it for fuel.