Norwich bulletin., 1922-12-22
(written Specially for The Bplletin.)

Cwritten Specially for The Bulletin.)
 Want to hear little su'thin' on the other side, eh?
 Want to know what some of the non farmers of the big cities think about our rural tendency to complain that we aren't given a square deal? We have talked quite a little, you and I, about the pretty universal farm feeling in this respect It seems only fair that we should at least hear something from the other Sde'-
 The paper knOrT aS @F1nnneial Amer ica" is, as its nan1e implies, devoted to news and comment on financial matters. In & recent issue it published signed article by one William J. Meany wherein MT. Meany certainly did treat the farm DTS rough. never happen to have heard of William J. Meany before but, from the tact that Financial America gives up nearly a column to. his cQmmunication' infer that he's somebody in the Who's Who" of financedom. Anyway, he Slings black ink with a vigor not to say an Ahandon calculated to make people near his desk dodge the spatters.
 He begins by remarAinE that the al- eged neglect of the farmer by the gov ,rnment is being continually dinned in Dur ears. Yet, F-quote:
 'It is a fact that cannot be disputed hat Uncle Sam has devoted Enare of hiA inc and spent more of his money supply ng the wants of the farmers than in al- host any other way. Practically all o1 bur internal improvements bear witness o the governments interest in the farm r. Tho turnpikes, the canals. the rail oads, the river and harbor improve nents, the highways the irrigation and lrr fnN f the improvements that have been put n mainly for the benefit of the farmer The United States department of agricui Ire and corresponding departments oi tate governments, not to mention thu chools of agriculture scattered through ut the country, are maintained for nt ther purpose than to help the farmer he government has spent .billionsa anC ill spend other billions forsti1e- sole fpur ose of improving the condition of tn, armer. Of what other worker or indus " of ours can the same be said?'
 '.The difficulties of which the farme omplains are due largely to his sowi ong-headedpess," says! MrN Meany ght off the bat 'rInadequacy of trans ortation is the chiefeSt of theTny and fo lis inadequacy he is most to blane.' yer since the days of StAe greenbacker his idea of statesTusnship has been tn aiting of the carriers."
 Crops are poor--blane it on the rail >ads! Crops are abundant but hay be left on the field-hlame it on tn ilroads! They alone of the big factor production are starving, every ody knows It. including the farmer+-bu asne them anyway, on general prineI esp -..-.. Mr. Meany by this time. as you'll hay served has worked up to the fervor o Iclamation points. He goes on to quot scretary Hoover as estimating the los the country by transportation deh encies at a billion dollars. This MI eany admits is livery. moderate" Per nally, he estimates the loss of earnin Iwer to the farmer alone at a. billioI q adds: This is the price he. is payin [ the fun he has been having at sth pense of the railroads" The only trou about it, Me. Meany objects. is ths he fine is passed on to the rest, of u Do arc having none of the. fun. Tn rner dances, but manages to duo en the piper is to be paid"
 And so on and so on. Perhaps Tv oted enough 70 give you an idea C out what MT. William J. Meany an people whom he represents, think ( farmerS--and say of them when the ke enough interest to express the 1ughts. 5ssE f1afEs S4 @9< It seems safe to assume that they. q regard us wth wholly unEixed at ration. This, while admittedly cegre ple, we shall, nevertheless. have to CT To as philosophically as we can! We'1 g had our opinion about them; it
 v the turn-about of fair play tn; y should be-, permitted their. cpinic us.
 incidentally, it may be remarked thi Meany's blunt assertion that 'tl npikes. canals, the railroads,s the riv, harbor improvements, the highway
 .. have been put in mainly fl
 benefit of the farmers" is certain
 tty sweeping. Some of us have Ina
 idea that the railroads, for ono thin re built mainly for the good of the cSholders: that river and harhor in vements, for second thing, were c
 taken chiefly in aid of shipping:. tn
 improved highways wers Nifitt1a
 ge measure for the eognfort of auf
 bilists. But MT. Meany tells us th, To for US hayseeds. Let us allrfe perly grateful! %A '=,
 Asldentally. once mSrN. 1t may be r rked that not all financial bigbugs u
 sr Mr, Meany in his sheet and pfi1O1
 raid on the farmers. Vice Prestdet