Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1922-09-28


ominous swarming of occupationa1 con-
ferences, interest groupings, political
movements and propaganda. Such
turmoil cannot but arrest our atten-
ton Indeed, it demands our careful
study and examination 1t is not like
iy that six million aloot and rugsed1y
Independent men have come together
and banded themselves into active
unions. societies. farm bureaus, and SO
forth, for no sufficient cause.
Investigation of the subject conclu-
sively proves that, while there is mtch
overstatement Of grievances and mis-
conception of remedies. the farmers
are right in complaining OF wrongs
| long endured, and right in holding that
| it is feasible to relieve their ills with
| benefit to the rest of the community.
This being the case Of an Industry
| that contributes, in the raw material
| form alone, about one-third Of the ma
| tional annual wealth production and
| Is the means of livelihood of about 40
| per cent of the population, it is OBJ
yious that the subject is one of grave
concern. Not only do the farmers
make up one-half of the nation, but
! the well-being of the other half de-
| ponds upon them.
| SO long as we have nations, wise
| POLITICAL economy will aim at a large
degree of national self-sufficiency and
self-eontainment Rome fell when the
food supply was too far removed from
the belly. Like her, we shall destroy
| our own agriculture and extend our
| sources of food distantIy and precari-
! ously, if we dc not see to it that our
| farmers are well and fairly paid for
! their services. The farm gives the
nation men as well as food. Cities
P, derive their vitality and are forever
renewed. from the country, but an inn
poverished countryside exports intelli
gence and retains unintelligence-
Only the lower grades of mentality
and character will remain on, or seek,
the farm, unless agriculture is capable
of being pursued with contentment and
adequate compensation. Hence, to en-
bitter and impOverish the farmer is to
dry up and contaminate the vital
sources of the nation.
The war showed convincingly how
dependent the nation is on the full
productivity of the farms Despite
herculean efforts, agricultural produc-
ton kept only few weeks or months
ahead of consumption, and that only
| by increasing the acreage of certain
staple crops at the cost of reducing
that of others We ought not to for
get that lesson when we ponder on
the farmers problems They are truly
common problems, and there should
be no attempt to deal with them as
If they were purely selfish demands
of a clear-cut group, antagonistic to
the rest Of the community. Rather
should we consider agriculture in the
light of broad national policy, just
as we consider oil, coal steel dye
stuffs, and SO forth, as sineWs of ma
tional strength. Our growing popula-
ton and higher standard Of living
demand increasing food supplies, and
more wool, cotton, hides, and the rest
With the disappearance Of free or
cheap fertile land, additional acreage
and increased yields can come only
from costly effort. This we need not
expect from an impoverished or I'M
happy rural population
It will not do to take narrow view
OF the rural discomfort, or to appraise
1t from the standpoint Of Yesterday.
This is peculiarly an age Of tiuX and
change and new deals. Because q
thing always has been so no longer
means that it is righteous, or always
shall be so. More, perhaps, than ever
before, there is widespread feeling
that all human relations can be i'm
proved by taking thought and that it
is not becoming for the reasoning ami
NAL to leave his destiny largely to
chance and natural incidence.
Prudent and orderly adjustment Of
production and distribution in accord
ance with consumption Is recognized
as wise management in every business
but that of farming. Yet, / venture
to say, there is no other industry in
which it is so important to the pub
lic-to the city-dweller-that produc-
ton should be sure, steady, and in
cT0dSIuS, anu tIdb u1SLLlDutIOA SiiOulU
be in proportion to the need The I'M
organized farmers naturally act blind
1 ly and impulsively and, in conse-
Quence, surfeit and dearth, accompa-
MED by disconcerting price-yariations,
harass the consumer. One year pota-
toes rot in the fields because of excess
production, and there is a scarcity of
the things that have been displaced
to make way for the expansion Of the
potato acreage; next year the punish
ed farmers mass their fields on some
other crop, and potatoes enter the
class of luxuries; and SO on.
Agriculture is the greatest and fun
damentally the most important Of our
American industries. The cities are
but the branches of the tree of ma
donal life the roots De which go deep
IN into the land. We all flourish or
decline with the farmer. So. when We
of the cities read Of the present uni
yersal distress of the farmers, of a
slump of six billion dollars in the farm
value of their crops In a single year,