The Mena weekly star., 1921-06-23
FARMERS PLIGHT
 HURTS BUSINESS
Organizations Point Out Inequality of Purchasing values--Buying Power of Farm Products Must Be
 Restored to Avoid Losses

Washington, June Admitting that the business depression is due largely to the fact that farmers quit buying, but declaring such action necessary and justified, representa- tives of the man on the farm is made and it is pointed out how he can be enabled to resume his buying stride. The National Grange, the American Farm Bureau Federation and the h. ternational Farm Congress joined in the statement, which follows;
 In the hope that, thru proper un- derstanding and action, the severity of the preent period of business depres- sion may be lessened and it's duration shortened, and injustice to the farm CTS of the United States, we, the un- dersigned representatives, respect fully submit the following for the consideration of all who are engaged in other industries and vacations.
 Those who presumably are best qualified to render an opinioin assert that the withdrawal of farmers gen. erally from the purchasing markets is the chief cause of the present in- dustrial and commercial stagnation, but we contend that it is unjust to charge farmers with carrying on an unwarranted buyers strike. Impair ment of their purchasing power, re- sulting from ar unfair economic sit uation, causes their action.
 444a sts&.ss l.. of values gradually were evolved. While these standards were not uni- form nor were they always satisfac- tory, they did in a general way con stitute bases of comparative prices upon which the various industries and occupations could function and, on the average. prosper. The relationship of these bases of values has been dis turbed violently, chiefly as result of the World war.
 Eases of values control economic balance. When the prices of the pro- ducts of basic industry fall serious ly below the general average of all prices, the entire industrial structure is affected. When it happens that al- most half of the total population either is engaged in that industry or is dependent directly upon it for a livelihood, the result is grave indeed, since the buying capacity of the na- tion is affected approximately. That is the situation in the United States now. High as we value foreign trade, the volume of domestic com merce is so much greater that when so large part of 1t IS eliminated the effect is worse than any conceivable loss in the foreign field.
 1t is evident that the withdrawal of farmers generally from the purchas- ing markets is caused chiefly by the fall in value of their products, meas ured by the comparison with the valu- ation placed upon the things they orr dinarily hnv. and not so much by the lowered prices of their products on the markets. The price of bushel of wheat, for illustration, is not so essential as it's value measured in terms of what it will buy.
 "It is clear that before farmers will be able and willing to resume buy ing on a normal scale, one of two things must happen: There must be ar increase n the price levels of farm products sufficient to restore their proper and fair relationship to ltlt UluCI D4cC1 VA N4A4Ccf OA tAAl RA A~0 levels of what the farmers buy must come to the plane of the values of farm poducts.
 Tt is contended that there is slight hope of prices of farm products greatly enhancing in the near future. If that is true, the only way to bring about the return of normal business activity will be to lower other prices sufficiently to restore parity. It is needless to say that this will result eventually. The memorable opera tion of natural economic laws will compel it. But that course will en- tail a long period of stagnation, which the right kind of action at this time, based on that understanding of economic causes and effects now so generally shared, might avoid.
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