Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-07-21
OPTIMISTIC PROPHESY
FOR FARMERS

The following editorial from E..
I. Meredith publisher of Successful
Farming is the best bit of good
cheer for the farmer that has come
to our attention in many a day; we
sincerely hope that it may all prove
true:
at is a law of nature that action
is equal to reaction in the opposite
direction. For instance, a pendulum
always swings almost as far one
way as it went in the opposite di-
rectlon on the preceding swing. A
slight jar when it starts back may
send 1T farther 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 almost as regular as is the tick
ing of the clock. When business
reaches the peak of its climb we can
always rest assured that there will
be a decline at least nearly as far.
The world war 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 destruction. But the up
ward swing stopped before the break
and for the last year and a half we
have been witnessing the backward
swing.
Many facts indicate that it is now
about time for the business pendu-
lum of the United States to return in
ho -
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 now should take an optomis
tic view of his business situation
The wheat carry-over from this sea-
son has been the smallest in years.
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.
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 1st than during the
preceding year.
Of vital interest to farmers is the
fact that there is a decided shortage
in live stock. If per capita consump-
tion of meat and meat prdoucts were
suddenly to return to normal, the
demand for meat would be far great
er than the supply.
During the first five months of
1921 there were 7,716 business fail
ures in the United States as COM
pared with 2,678 for the CORES
ponding period of 1920. An expert
statistician estimates that at present
there are about three million per-
sons ordinarily employed in indus
tries in the United States out of
employment. 1t has been demon
strated that the family OF a man
who has employment consumes three
times as much of the things people
eat, wear and use, as it does when
the head of the family is out of en-
plOyment. Latest information in
dicates that the number of unem-
ployed has probably reached the
maximum and that unemployment
j. now on the decline,
One can readily see that as work
ers in textile mills, shoe factories,
automobile factories, furniture fac
tories, ETC., are resuming employ
ment,, their requirements will be pro-
portionately. increased. Certainly
this means a greater demand and
better prices for all the things which
are produced by farmers. Lack of
employment cannot be improved un.
til utilization of products produced is
resumed.
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
prices or at least getting a larger
percentage of the final selling price
of their stuff, together with the
probable reduction in freight rates,
and we have ample reason for feel
ing optimistic in regard to the situa-
ton the farmer will find himself in
a few months hence.
There are other favorable signs and
we will admit a few clouds on the
horizon, but taking it all in all the
situation warrants reasonable optim-
ism. Better times for agriculture
are coming and coming soon. The
farmers who profit most during the
next few years will be those who
keep eyes and ears 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
Dy 10 cents, that is equivalent to
getting 10 cents a bushel more for
it.
WRIGHT-SEWARD
HERNIA Agnes Wright, daughter