Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-06-01

nav the original price of five cents.
Perhaps economic conditions were
working overtime in those II Gays.
But we and all other growers with
whom have ever talked credited one
fifth Of our corn check that fall 20 tne
work of the Growers Association.
Mr.. Baxter. you have stated that tne
planters have received no ma Hnaiiv vn,,
deny the facts l have stated ABOVE
If not, the burden of proof is on you.
Let us now look briefly at Mr.. baS-
ter's attempt to prove that from nnah,
grow sweet corn this season. care.
full analysis will betray the fact that
the whole structure of his argument
is founded on fallacious dennltl0n.
tive term. The farmer like all the
rest of us obtains a profit when he EN-,
ploys his time and equipment TO yielo
the best cash return webster, now
of the price received over the cost OF
purchasing and handling. or OF pro- pro-
ducing and marketing. PROFIT
thus is clearly an absolute term. II
is measured not in ratios, but IN &C
tual dollars and cents: Sweet corn
will prove to be a profitable crop tins
season only if we are to receive more
for pound of corn than 1t costs 70
grow that corn: That is the soie
question to be kept in mind. If we
shall determine that we may, expect
such a return, then and only then can
we logically compare the profit likely
to be received from sweet corn. with
the profit likely to be derived from any
ton to Mr.. Crawford to name crop
that will yield as large return as
sweet corn in reality begs the very
question at issue. VIII the sweet
corn crop this year return any pront
at all?
Last year it cost the farmers
of Maine ~ cents per pound to grow
sweet corn, as shown by the average
over the State. AS evidence of the
honesty of these figures the items OF
cost have been made availabl" to the
packers and to the general public The
items making up this cost consist or
the two major items of labor and fer
tiliZer materials and of the minor
items of seed, rent of land, machinery,
etc. OF these items in the labor cost
alone is there a possibility of any ma
terial reduction. Last year the State
average for the labor cost was 400
per hour. A 20% reduction on all
items would just about meet the price
offered by the packers this season.
But as little saving can be made in
the other items it is clear that at least
$3.50 of the reduction must be trans
ferred to the labor column. This
would give the farmer chance to
work an eight-hour day for $2.40,
make no profit but break even. al
ways provided that he could figure on
as good a crop this season as last.
Then the average production shown
by the accounts kept was little less
1t must be considered that cost &C
counts naturally were kept only by
the best farmers and that in making
the final average no accounts were
account of failure of the crop at some
time through the season. And fur
Their any planter or packer either will
admit that the season of 1920 was es-
pecially favorable to corn production.
And yet Mr.. Baxter ridicules Mr..
Crawford's estimated average of 1000
lbs. over a period of years. And says
in turn that with ordinary care any
farmer should average 5000 lbs. per
acre. To speak from my own expert
year we RAISED over 5000 lbs. per acre
that was at least 5000 better yield
than our average for the last ten
years. But ! realize that this is pref
diced party. The only way u get II
fair average is to take the yield of
any large group of growers over as
long a period of years as possible. 1t
may he argued that some growers do
not give their crop ordinary care.
True. But on the other hand other
growers give theirs more than ordi-
nary attention. SO it ought to aver
there is only one way IL get these fig
ures accurately. The officials of the
packing companies have at their dis
posal the number of acres planted for
their factories. They also know the
number of pounds of corn delivered IT,
them. Mr.. Baxter. as an official of
the Portland Packing Company do you
dare In sworn statement to pub
fish these figrres-even for last year?
You have stated that sweet corn is
the most profitable crop for the Maine
farmer this year You have in your
possession evidence vital to deter
mine this point. Do you dare to pre-
sent 1t? Mr.. Baxter, the burden Of
And now we come to what is the
most important phase of the whole
question. One that Mr.. Baxter has
only h ans at in his letter. The
Na!uabit to Maine, though truth com
pels me to admit that it appears to
be an industry more valuable to the
packer than to the farmer. All of the
the situation view the outlook with
equanimity, almost with indifference.
While Mr.. BaXter's recent letter rings
with the desperation of despair. still
should be maintained if possible. In
this industry both packer and planter
mas his part to perform. Each owes
it to the other and to the public to
perform tndt part as economically and
as efficiently as possible. We, the
planters, have made public our opcr-
ating costs. This year we have of
Tered to produce the raw material for
a can of corn for three cents The
packers have told us that they can
not afford 70 pay that sum. But in
support OF their contentious they have
onercd not single figure. I chal-
!enge the packers to make public an
ltemized schedule of the cost Of a can
from hat Tlhr iS.r
livered to them till it passes into the
hands of the purchaser-this sched-
ule to show actual cost of canning
operations and overhead charges in
Guiding salaries of the officials of the
companies, And along with this /
challenge them to make public a
schedule showing where they propose
70 make that cut in their expenses
this season that they demand of the
farmer. And in t>is connection it will
be interesting to note if the officials
OF the packing companies are to accept
that reduction in pay that they are
trying to force upon the farmer.
The growers have taken the packers
and the public into their confidence.
We have gladly opened our opera
tions to the light. But the opera
tons of the packers are still shroud-
ed in Stygian darkness
Mr.. Baxter, you have informed us
that you cannot afford to pay what it
costs us to produce corn. But the
burden Of proof is still on you
DONALD w. ELLIS.