Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-09-12
COMEBACK In.
AGRICULTURE.
SEEN IN IOWA.
Despite Low Prices,
Farmer Will Re-
duce Debt.
MARKET COST HIGH
State Fails to Get
Profits Due on It's
Products.
MARKET COST HIGH
Special to Indiana Daily Times
and Philadelphia Public Ledger.
BY RICHARD SPlILANE

Special to Indiana Daily Times
and Philadelphia Public Ledger.
BY RICHARD SPILLANE.
DES MONIES, Iowa, Sept. IL
This city reflects Iowa, the greatest
agricultural State of the Union, fore
most in value of farm land, in value
of farm machinery, in value of live
stock on the farm, in percentage of
acres of improved land, and, prob
ably, in automobiles per capita. Con-
fessedly the farmer has been hard hit
by the great decline in farm products
prices, but nowhere in the farm belt
is the prospect better Of an early re-
turn to fair conditions. City and
country bankers agree that despite
low prices, the farmer will be able
to reduce his Indebtedness somewhat
out of this years crop.
But the bankers, like the farmers, are
dissatisfied They say Iowa has the
greatest machine for farm production IN
the world, but is not getting the real
profit out of it and neither is the general
costs of marketing. There is no non
partisan league or populistic taint to the
Iowan, but he declares there would have
been no such blind movements il there
were not gross evils to correct. Bankers
and farmers would like to see order
system. common sense introduced into
the distributive process They don't
ESe why if the California Fruit Exchange
v'can benft producer and consumer by its
system of marketing the citrus and de-
ciduous crops of California the grain
farmers cannot likewise in regard to
their products They wish to reduce, or
If possible, eliminate the gamble there
is In farming and make it a more stable
industry.
IOWA BANKERS AND
FARMERS IN ACCORD.
Nowhere are bankers and farmers more
in accord and in sympathy than in Iowa
They are sound. solid citizens Their
plans WIN be considered before being
adopted. What they do is likely 20 have
great influence on the farm nationally.
Here in Des Moines are several great
farm publications. An Iowa farm editor
is Secretary Of Agriculture Iowa bank
ers rank high in influence and iateTi-
gence.
The farther West a traveller goes. the
more criticism he hears Of the Federal
Reserve System. The prevailing beljef
seems to be that the East is favored and
the farm neglected. One thing certain
Is that II earnest attention Is not given
70 the cattle question the Nation is go
Ing TO pay the penalty. Corn is very
cheep but, generally speaking, farmers
who ordinarily buy cattle to feed and
fatten for market, have not the money
or credit to purchase cattle and they
not only lose this opportunity to con
time their ordinary feeding business,
but their surplus corn is dead asset
or nearly so.
Unquestionably if cattle from the
range are not fed on the farms as usual
and in the usual number there will be
Reef shortage next year that will be
nation wide in its effect
- Canada Is handling this subject intel
ligently- Orders have gone forth for the
most reasonable extension of credit TO
cattle feeders
TROLLEY COMPANY
STRIKE UNIQUE.
Des Moines presents an odd picture TO
the stranger. The trolley system still
Is out OF commission. Sucn an assort-
ment Of queer vehicles masquerading as
auto buses is in commission as you will
see nowhere else in America This IS
not strike of workers, but Of the trolley
COM pany. How it will end nobody
knows. The trouble SCENE to be in alb
sentee landlordism. low earnings and
poor management plus a secret agree
ment between the company and labor
union leader that outraged public
opinion.
The buses operate on a permit from
the city revOcable at any time. st first
the bus people thought there was a for
tune in the business. They rigged all
sorts of chassis and went to it. Now the
number of buses is lessening Some
routes have been found not to pay. When
the bus men quits he just quits and let's
the public go haTg. At first everybody
with an auto was willing 70 give a. lift
TO anybody afOot. Now men are getting
tired of it. To get from your home to
town in the morning is not difficult. all
vehicles being POINTED toward a com
mon center, but to get home in the eve
ming is another matter. People line ur
at the cuEbs anil wait. Vehicles are sadly
~oEer crowded. Most of them are i'll de-
signed for the business. There is IN
convenience, discomfort and delay.
THEATERS
ARE LOSERS.
The Des Moines stores suffered in pa
tronage for a time Now they suffer only
a little, but the theaters, motion picture
establishments, confectloners and others
in the heart of the city are hurt There Is
less coming to town at night. goodiy
proportion of people stay home perforce
A liberal estimate puts the loss to this
business at Is to 20 per cent. One promin-
ent theater which was to have opened this
month. will be closed until the trans-
portation trouble is adjusted.
Des Moines has a considerable industrial
establishment made up or mourning mills.
hosiery mills, thrashing machine plants.
tire and tube factories. a branch of the
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