The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1922-08-17
By James B, Holm

The american farmer is
coming back.
He is beginning to emerge
from the tremendous slough
of despair and suffering, in
which he has floundered for
the past 20 months. His head
is more above water and he
feels that the crisis is past.
He believes better times are
coming, although almost i'm
perceptihly slow.
The farmer himself says
this.
1t was told how the value ot his
land mot downwards with thud
that meant ruin to many who had
toiled years for little gain, learned
how prices of crops and produce faded
away; how many were gouged and
swindled by profiteers; how there was
suffering for lack of the comforts OF
life; how the young men left the farm
for the city and how crops were lost
for want OF help to harvest them: how
the farmers morale was shot to pieces.
For year or more he felt himself
beaten man for whom the future
held but little,
Now his courage has returned, He
has faced about with the light. OF
new spirit in his eye,
The practical American farmer is not
claiming that prosperity is here. Far
from it. But he believes il is on the
way, slowly coming nearer every day.
All Optimistic.
] heard everywhere, We lost money
last year. This year we expect TO break
even or perhaps make little money.
Things look better"
All this is of tremendous importance
to the country, Farming is by far the
largest of all the nations activities.
They call It the basic bsiness or IN.
dustry of the country and maintain
there can be no lasting prosperity un
til the farmer is prosperous and con.
tented With the farmer prosperous
and spending his money, the whole
country should then experience better
times.
In this swing through the garden
of America" I learned of men who
had virtually worked for nothing in
the past year, If fair rate of interest
be allowed on their investment. Or,
IL very small wege be allowed to them
as workers, then their farm as busl-
ness. lost money.
! was told of men, supposedly veal.
thy through inheritance Of rich farms,
clear Of debt. who had to borrow money
enough 10 pay their taxes. They
couldn't make enough from their farm.
Families were found whose cash in
come would not exceed 5000 for the
year, in addition OF course, to rent
and a part of their food.
These do not mean extreme cases,
such as the shiftless, the ignorant
and the unfortunate. With hard work,
good crop returns and good luck still
there was no money TO be made.
Pre-war prices for his crops and
wartime prices for his machinery,
groceries, clothing. etc. We're a bad
combination.
Said an Indian farmer TITS bad
enough when man has no work and
therefore no pay, But It's worse yet
when you put in full time and get no
ray for what YOU do"
Usually Secretlve.
The average farmer is curlously
secretive about his financial income
Sometimes II is because he himself does
not know and hates to admit Il.
But talked with many farmers in
Missouri. Iowa, Illinois. Kentucky. In.
diana and Ohio about their income and
about theinr neighbors' income, II
was always the sama,
II couldn't make n decent living last
year" they would say,
L. s. government reports. based on
surveys in 1916, showed the average
farm income then to be about 5000
per year OF which 5000 was in cash,
This was in the best three agrieul.
tural states,
New surveys are being made this
year. No report is set available, but
II will show q change for the worse,
The farmer may be taking in the same
amount OF money as before. but It
goes only half as far.
II 5000 was the average income in
1910, the income OF those below the