The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1921-09-02

unless some sort CT just relation is
mainte.ned between the prices they
receive for Their several commodities
and services. No Industry is so pow
erful that it can 1--we unto itself
alone. All in the end must draw
| their sustenaLce from the same
source. Agriculture at the present
time furnishes the most glazing in
stance of which l know OF low prices
as compared with the prices which
other great industries receive for
their goods anl services.
The cost of transportation for
farm products i3 practically double
what it was before the war; while
such products, according 20 the Gov
crnment tables, are now upon level
slightly above pre-war prices. A
chart recently Published shows the
relative prices Of mere than three
hundred commodities, according to
the latest Government table,, as com
pared with the 1913 Price level.
Farm products were, as have said,
but slightly above that level, while
oil other commodities showed an in
crease of from 40 to IT'S rer cent.
Clearly, agriculture has suffered
IlCst. Some sort of proper relation
must be restored between agricul-
ture and other industries before we
can hope for q permanent improve
ment in business conditions.
Agriculture is still our great ba-
sic industry. A third OF our popula-
ton derives it's living direct from the
soil The increase in freight rates
has practically deprived the produc-
ers of many farr- commodities of
their best m .rkets. Under the low
freight rates which formerly pre-
vailed, the farmers of the country
were the best patrons of the rail-
way. They shipped to the remotest
markets. They lad gotten away
from the practice of the pioneers, by
which the farmer produced nearly
everything upon the farm which he
and his family consumed. They sold
and shipped almost their entire prod
uct, buying other articles of mer-
chandise in return. This was doubt
less to the economic advantage of the
country as whole, for each terrific
ry could produce the articles it was
best fitted to produce, exchanging for
other articles they needed and which
were produced elsewhere. The farm
er had become a merchant as well as
farmer. And now he is driven back
in large measure to the more prim-
tive practices of his pioneer for
bears.
Instead of producing the one
thing, or the two things, or the
three things that he is best suited to
produce, he is compelled to produce |
everything upon his land, whether
or not, which is nee
cssary to the living of his family.
The alfalfa growers of the far West
will no longer grow alfalfa for the
farmers of Iowa and Illinois. The
latter will be compelled, therefore, to
devote smaller part of their acreage
to the cereals an to raise roughage
FOR themselves.
''The farmer will no longer con-
.inue to ship all of his live stock to
The great centers, buying his own
supplies of bacon and ham and beef
rom the butcher and the merchant,
,ut will revive the old smoke house
If his fathers and prepare his own
meats. A community Touring mill
nay again return. Possibly even the
pinning wheel and the loom will find
heir old place in the farmers home,
Ind necessary clothing may be man
fractured upon the farm. / am not
It all sure that some benefit might
lot come from this return to print
i've times, but l am sure that it will
reduce the volume of
reight carried over the railroads of
he land.
II am sure too that the total prod
.cts of the farms of America will be
argely reduced when this necessity
ONES. l do not mean to say that
here are not other causes operating
o reduce the price of farm products i,
elcw the cost of production, such as
gant of purchasing power abroad,
ut l do mean to say that the first
tep toward stabilizing farm produce
ion is to bring transportation
harges down to point where the ,
armer can regain the American mar
et which he has lost
DR.. F. M. McRee has returned from
is European trip, arriving home
unday. DR.. McRee spent twenty I
hree days travelling in England, t
rance, Belgium, Switzerland, and /
listed the battlefelds of France. He 7
avs that the English and French
-