South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-08-05
Twenty-Five Hundred Mile Trip
Through Heart of Agricultural
America Shows Prosperity Ahead

IL cash. This wa, III the best three
agricultural states
New surveys are being made this
yeear. No report is yet available, but
II Will show a change for the worse.
The farmer may be taking in the
same amount of money as before but
it goes only half as far.
If $500 was the average income in
1915, the income of those below the
average can be readily imagined. In
some cases it was as low as $500. A
family nowadays doesn't live very
high on $500 per year.
Reasons for Change.
The reason for the change of feed
ing by the farmer are varied. No
single thing. seems to have caused
the change.
Some think recent small price
rises will continue-to the benefit of
the farmer.
Some expect considerable benefit
from recent legislation forced by the
farm bloc in congress.
Many believe the growth Of co.
operative buying and selling enter
prises viii help much.
The activities Of the farm bureau
and government agencies in educat-
ing the farmer to produce more
economically, will help wonderfully,
SO many believe.
Money is easy to get at the banks,
too. which will also be of help.
At any rate the farmer is in the
right frame of mind for better things
this year
Frank Fulkerson owns over 400
acres Of land in Jersey county. III
nois. He lives on and operates one
of his farms He is a shrewd bust
ness man, a keen thinker and strict
~ to-the-minute in farm meth
DDS. If there's a way TO make more
money on the farm Fulkerson goes
after it. Yet, he says he lost money
last year
Says FUlkerson:
The farmer is a business man as
well as a worker He must figure a
depreciation fund as well as interest
on investment What city business
man would be content with or 4
percent profit each year? But it is
impossible for a farmer 20 make
more than or 4 percent even IN
der ideal conditions Last year we
didn't make even + percent As a
business we lost money
The farmer is worse off now
than ever before His morale is
gone He's about busted and doesn't
know where he is at but conditions.
think. are slowly changing for the
better
Lauds New laws.
F. Fulkerson attaches considerable
Importance to the new laws enacted
by congress last winter 10 help agri-
culture.
Tom Reilly. who owns and runs a
general farm i'm the hills OF Clark
county Missouri. puts most Of the
blame of the farmers plight on the
city man.
The town merchant and manufac-
turer are still trying 10 hang on TO
their big wartime profits and the
city worker is trying 10 keep his war
time wages. while rne farmer has
taken his cut and a big one, too.
I'VE have no kick on a reduction
If everybody else gets the same. But
for the farmer 10 get his income
sliced while other classes stay up.
is not right The farmer can't even
make his interest in normal times. 20
say nothing about the present"
In Clark county I learned harvest
hands were being offered $50 per
day and board One man OF 10 told
me he was shocking wheat at 81 per
day. the average cash farm income
here was put between $500 and $500
Heffelhnger Bros. OF Butler. Ind,
agreed that they hadn't made any
thing but q living the past year.
They own a couple Of hundred acres
Of land.
we are hopeful though" they
said Things are getting better. la
Dor is easier around here. More men
are willing TO work on the farm
now"
In Kentucky they are pinning
their faith on the activities OF the
tobacco pool a cooperative selling
arrangement. The hurley men
formed their pool more than a year
ago. and the black-leaf men are or
ganizing now. Last year. by agree
ment the tobacco acreage was kept
low. The price rose.
More tobacco will be raised this
year. but through an excellent
marketing system the growers hope
20 keep the price stable They have
an iron-clad agreement among
themselves.
"Taxes Too High"
Albert Lang OF Lee county, Iowa.
told OF a neighbor who owned two
quarter-sections OF land. which he