Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1922-09-27
OBSERVATIONS |; !; ( / A ! | | J -
(By the Cornfeld Philosopher,
Ria Problems

Big Problems 81
Editor Tribune: Nearly fifty years
ago soon after I commenced to inyes-
tigate the farmers problems I discov-
cred that his biggest problem, and the
one upon which his prosperity almost
wholly depended is, "How to get his
products, from the" farm to the :ulti..
mate consumer at the lowest possible
cost" This problem cannot he solved
successfully by one farmer alone. 1t
requires concerted action on the part
Of all who till the sol! for a livi ng.
This is specially true Of the bulky
farm products like grain, hay and live
stock. Government statisticians figure
that it takes two-thirds of what the
farmers produce to get the other third
to market-that is to the final con-
sumner, whose requirements make the
market. This means that of the ~ to
80 billions Of dollars annually paid for
the things that come from the farm,
the growers get from The farm, the
growers get from to 10 billions only,
while the army of "middlemen" stand
between the producer and the con-
sure:r and absorb the balance. How
can farmers as a class prosper under
such conditions? Is it not a great Won
der they are doing as well as they
are? The biggest "midd!eman" of them
all is the railroad. Henry Ford is
demonstrating by an actual object
lesson that the cost of transportation
can be reduced by at least one half
without any cut in the wages paid the
necessary help. In factl:llis employees
are the best paid of any railroad men
in the country. But what did the gov
eminent do? Instead of using Henry
Ford's experience in reducing the cost
of transportation which would be a
benefit not only to the farmers but
to all consumers, an imbecile, if not
corrupt, Congress passes the notori-
Gus Cummins-Esch railroads.&c., which
sets aside our state laws governing
the,rai1roads and in effect guarantees
a net profit Of six per cent on all its
watered stock and everything and up
on the poorest managed railroad in
America! There is no requirement in
the above mentioned law that q rail
road shall be efficiently managed
none whatever.
And the men like Kellogg and Vol
stead who aided in putting this in
famous law upon the statute books,
have the sublime audacity to ask the
farmer voters to approve their actions
on this measure by re-electing them!>
: Experts figure that one of the bad
effects of this Act is to add at least
5000 to the annual cost OF living Of
the average family. Is not this a good
cause for shouting for Kellogg and
Volstead?
. The concerted action on the part Of
farmers necessary to reduce the cost
of transportat ton can only find ex-
preston thru the government. Uncle
Sam is the only person who can solve
this problem. Indeed he has given
us an object lesson already in the par
cells post, which, altho badly handi-
capped, has cut the express rates
right in two in the middle. This
means we must elect men to Congress
like Shipstead and Kvale, if we desire
cheaper Transportation, and what far
ners do not? # s7s-,-2
!: have the faith to believe that this
is what is going to be done at the ell
ection in November. Notwithstanding
the utter silence on the part Of the
Kept press as: to what Ford has ac-
complished in the line of transporta-
ton, the TRUTHS SLOWLY. reaching the
people especially here in Minnesota.
Every reader of these: lines if SO dis
posed can turn missionary. You may
have some benighted rneighbor who
reads nothing but the bunk dished
out by the papers that support the
plunderbund, but who are not fully.
satisfied with the conditions under.
which they are trying to make a liv-
ing. . i. :.. 1000. 81 f:...
IS Go and see them and talk especially
to the women voters. Let us all unite:
to roll up vote here in old Kandiyo-
hi county for .Shipstead, Johnson,
Kvale and prosperity, that will aston
sish the enemy, and carry hope Joy
andshappinesss to- all who learn living.
by honest Dor, ...s,....s..