The New York herald., 1922-12-18
What the Farmer Doesn't Get.

vVnaS SAsC - AAASs 'A>CSoss ~ss
Based on their farm value as OF
December. I the country's crops this
year are worth q billion and eight
hundred million dollars more than
they were worth last year. with q
total value of seven and three-quar-
ter billions Of dollars. This is help.
and material help, for the American
farmer as compared with the dis
tress into which he was plunged by
the after war crop dehation. But It
is not all the help. the farmer needs,
and It IL not In the only form he
needs It.
Whether the country's crops ap-
praise at seven and three-Quarter
billions of dollars or whether they
appraise at more than seven and
three-quarter billions Of dollars. the
American farmer will not get his due
until he has the bank facilities and
the bank credits hts business re-
quires and until he has a coopera-
tive selling agency and other means
tc enable him to market his product
to the best advantage. And the
country itself will not fare well
when the farmer does not, because
the country's food supply never will
be stable and satisfactory while the
American farmers cannot make a
decent living out of raising that
food supply.
President HARprNe's program for
agricultural legislation will do moro
for the American farmers condition
than q momentary crop valuation
bulge OF one and three-quarter bill
lions Of dollars can do. This is SO
because tho fruits Of the farmers
long and hard hours Of work are de-
voured unless he can get the bank
loans that are essential to the rails
ing Of his crops. and can get them on
reasonable terms.
Moreover, when the farmer has put
in a whole year raising his crop.
paying for the labor employed. pay
ing for the. equipment and supplies
Fought. paying for the living Of him
self and his family. the farmer can
not get any profit out of it, he cam
rot escape bankruptcy, unless he has
access to distributing machinery
that will enable him to market his
crop at prices whereby he can get
back for every old dollar that went
into 1t a new dollar and something
more besides. This is a very big fac
tor in the agricultural problem.
And President HANDING is right
when he declares that the prosperity
of the farmer and the food supply Of
the country are dependent upon dis
tributing conditions. They are de-
pendent upon transportation facili-
ties for shipping the crops. They are
dependent upon transportation rates
for performing the service They are
dependent upon other distributing
costs.
Potatoes, cabbages and other veg
etables have been left to rot In the
fields by the millions OF tons this
very year because to send them to
market would have cost the producer
more in freight charges. trucking
charges and other handling charges
than he could have sold his produce
for. The same thing was true last
year of corn and even Of wheat. II is
true every year Of various things,
involving millions Of dollars lost to
the farmers.
The American farmer is not going
to keep on plugging away forever
at trying to feed and 'clothe the
country and part Of the outside
world when he cannot cash in with
good money and when he knows
workers in the trades are making s6,
IS and $40 day for working half as
long hours 40 the farmer works.
That is why the American people
have as big o stake 40 the American
farmer in getting the nations agri-
cultural business put on sound and
stable basis.