Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1922-03-31
Farmers Helped
BY A BANK ROLL IN POCKETS
OF CITY CRAFTSMEN
High Wage Workers Benefit Farmers
Much More Than World
Wide Markets

Washington-"It is most short
sighted action for farmers to fight
payment of good wages for an honest
days work to American labor" writes
Benjamin C. Marsh, managing direc-
tor of the farmers national council,
in the bulletin of that organization.
The farmers council is "a special
union of the leading farm organlza-
tions of the country.
"Only about IL per cent to Is per
cent of the value of farm products Is
exported" said Mr.. Marsh. can in
crease of Is per cent in domestic con-
sumption of farm products is there
fore about equivalent to doubling the
present export of farm products.
Farmers have never been prosper
Gus in times of widespread unemploy-
ment in America, nor can laborers be
prosperous when farmers are broke.
"In view of the interdependency OF
farmers and other workers, the effort
being made by certain farm leaders
to help manufacturers and other en-
ployers of labor, notably the rail-
roads and mine operators, to hammer
down wages paid to labor, is almost
criminal, for if they should succeed
| it will react most seriously upon
farmers themselves.
"The census bureau reports that in
1919 the total wages direct and in
direct paid labor on the farms was in
round figures $1,356, 100000, while the
value of farm crops that year was in
round figures $13,820,000,00O. Some
farmers object to fair wages for la
Dor on the ground that it compeis
farmers themselves to pay higher
wages to labor on the farm. In 1919,
farmers expenditures for labor were
little less than 10 per cent OF the
value of farm crops. In 1921. the
value of farm crops was only about
SIS, 100000. Farmers could afford
less help, and wages for farm labor
were lower in 1921 than in 1919, but
it is perfectly clear that it would have
been ifinitely better for farmers to
have paid farm labor $1,356 100000
in 1921, as they did in 1919, if farm
ers had received the same price for
their 1921 crops as they did for the
1919 crops, or about $13, ,82O, 900, ,oO0.
This they should have received, and
they would have received much nearer
this had labor been employed at fair
| wages. Farmers nave always Deen
most prosperous when wages of labor
were higher.
"The tenant farmers interest is
solely that of wage Garner. While the
denial of credit to farmers to enable
them to market their crops in an or
derry way instead Of being forced to
dump them upon the market, and for
eign conditions were serious factors
in the def1ation of prices which farm
ers received for their products, the
enormous extent of unemployment
and the heavy reduction in wages
paid workers in factories, mines, trade
and transportation were big factors
in the defation of prices farmers re-
ceived for their products.
Unemployment and the reduction
in wages reduced the purchasing
power of labor in this country ~ least
S9,0C0,O00, during 1921. This loss
of wages was about one-third greater
than the total value of farm crops in
that year, and it was approximately
eight times as great as the value of
foodstuffs exported during 1921 ex-
elusive of the value added thereto by
manufacture"