The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1922-02-10
TALK TO FARMERS
By. T. F. Peck.

NEAL ShOOE VI 1hRD LINES.
There has never been time in this
country when the farmers products
would exchange for so little of other
commodities as is the case to-day. To
get by at all, he has been forced to
the most rigid economy, purchasing
nothing that he could do without. He
has been placed on the European level
of consumption, and the result is
closed factories, unemployment and
bad conditions for all.
If the farmers could have received
as much for their crops in 1921 as
they did in 1920, we could have placed
a flat embargo on all exports of man.
ufactured goods and have still found
a market at home for billions of dol
lars worth more than we did and thus
have kept our factories running and
have seen no more than the normal
amount of unemployment There is a
large bunch of so-called political
economists who are shouting about
the necessity of the United States go
ing to the relief of Europe and aid
ing in the rehabilitation that we may
have a renewed world market for our
products through the sterilization of
foreign conditions. Some of them
urge the REIMBURSEMENT of the debts
due US from the allies, others urging
the opening Of our doors to European
goods without tariff taxes. The bur-
den of their cry is that unless the Eu-
ropean market revives, prosperity
cannot revive with us.
Now, why not seek, instead to re-
habilitate the American farmer,
whose normal purchasing power of
American goods has always been
greater by far than the entire foreign
market? The purchasing power Of
the American farmer has been almost
entirely eliminated during the past
year. During the year that has just
closed, the value of all the products
of American farms was eight billion
dollars less than in 1919, and three
and one half billions less than in 1920.
Therefore the farmers had three and
one half billion dollars less to spend
last year than they had the year be-
fore. Their lack of purchasing pow
err will be felt in all avenues Of trade
until another harvest, when a decent
price for their products comes around.
Is it necessary to look for any other
reason for the closing down of the
factories, for the limiting of produc-
ton of manufactured goods, and for
the widespread unemployment?
Manufacturers never dreamed of
finding, in normal times, foreign
market for eight billion or for three
billion dollars worth of manufactured
goods. Yet they have that market
right here in the United States in
1919 and 1920. That market was the
millions who make their living on
American farms.
America is by long odds the worlds
greatest market. In clothing, for in
stance, it is probable that the Amer
lean people consume more than all the
rest of the world, and farmers and
their families and employees, consti-
tuting practically one-third of the
population, consume more than any
other one class.
The income Of the farmer has been
more than cut in half. He has less
than half as much to spend as he for
merly had. The worst of it is that
the consumer has profited in but
small degree by the losses of the
farmers. The extravagant costs of
distribution, built up during the war
period and the "boom" after the war.
are still with us. All dealers COM
plain of the high ccst of doing bust
ness as the reason why retail prices
have not declined in propuortion with
the decline Of farm products, and why
there is no reduction of the toll taken
between the producer and the consum-
er of food products.
The farmer has had to reduce the
cost Of doing business. Why cannot
others do the same? II the cost of
distribution were back to the pre-war
levil, the farmers could get at least
the prices for their products that they
got in 1919. while the consumer would
get farm products cheaper than they
do to-day. Why cannot other busi-
ness get down to earth as has the
farmer? Why talk about rehabilitat-
ing a European market while the
worlds greatest market is right here,
ready to absorb all that our factories
will normally produce, if they will
produce and dealers vii distribute on
something approaching the basis of
YAtr<