The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1922-01-26
HARDING'S REPLY TO WALL
STREET

la NAIiiS AOI Tie OAiIS-
ing together of business and agricul-
ture in support of the efforts made to
push measures for the relief and re-
storation of the country's most vital
Industry, meets in Washington. next
Monday, January %. 1t is the one
most encouraging sign of the times
Among other things it affords further
proof, it seems to me, that the people
are waking up to the grave import
ance of a matter which will affect
their whole future.
Almost on the eve of the confer
ence, New York newspaper, some
times noted for its arrogance of opin-
ion and innocence of facts, assures its
readers that it is all mistake about
farmers being in a bad fix, or without
money to pay their taxes; that when
a farmer talks this way he is either
talking through his hat or simply
doesn't know his business.
Strange, isn't it, that Washington
and the country should be so disturb
ed by the mistaken complaints of a
few disgruntled or ignorant farmers,
as this paper would have US believe
they are?
An editorial in another city daily,
quite as far out of touch with what it
is talking about as if it were publish
ed on the moon, comments upon ''the
sensibleness of the farmer" 1t ap-
pears ''the farmer has gone back to
work." that ''tired of waiting for the
Government to help and support them
farmers have started in to support
themselves"
If so, we may be sure they are not
going about it in a state of such
colossal ignorance as this editorial
writer is going about his work. I am
glad to say that not a few big city
newspapers are realizing that agricul-
ture must have its economic rights to
keep step with a modern world, if
cities are to be fed, and are helping
the good work along.
A few rude but forceful facts have
recently emerged from swarm of
calculations made by the U. S. De
partment of Agriculture. They show
that farmers lost 8 y billion dollars
in 1921 in crop values alone compared
with 1920, or eight billion dollars
compared with the crop values for
1919.
From the Census Bureau we learn
that farmers must pay out for labor,
for fertilizer and for mill feed about
2 p billion dollars year, not taking
into account nor putting any value on
their own labor, nor including their
other eKpenses-and taxes.
Doubtless the entire annual ex-
/ pense of conducting six million farms
would easily surpass the four billions
of dollars it takes to conduct the rail-
roads of the United States. Yet farm
ers are not asking, nor expecting a
six per cent guarantee from the Gov
ernment, nor that a fixed price be set
on their crops which shall equal, for
instance, the excessive rates that the
railroads are permitted to exact, and
which the interests that speak of the
/ important program of farm legisla-
ton before Congress as ''class Iegis-
lation" consider quite all right and
would perpetuate.
It is such foolish pharisaism, as the
New York newspaper and these inter
ests manifest which has made a con-
/ ference necessary that we may bring
team work to bear in our effort to
make it possible for this cOuntry's
/ prosperity-maler to prosper that the
rest of US may.
The President himself rebuked this
narrow pharisaical spirit in his call
for ga national conference to con-
! slider the agricultural problems of the
American people," by saying that sit
is unthinkable this unparalleled agrl-
cultural country should accept the
status of an industrial Nation" That
is, that we should let ourselves be
come solely, or largely, city-dwell-
ing, factory-working people.
sOur destiny" the President went
on to say, "seems to require that we
should be a well-rounded Nation with
/ a high development of both industry
and agriculture, supporting one
another and prOspering together l
feel sure it is the national wish and
purpose to maintain our agriculture
at its highest efficiency"
All that farmers are asking Tor are
honest markets, free from man1pula-
+inn. for the chance through cooper
alive association with one another to