Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1922-03-17
written Specially for The Bulletin)


A city friend wrote me, the other day,
apropos OF a recent talk we've had in this
corner Of The Bulletin,
Don't you think that the farmers are
squealing a little louder than actual facts
warrant? Why are they trying to make
out that they are the chief and greatest
sufferers? Aren't. they ignoring or at Least
unfairly minimizing the losses which bus
mess and labor of the farms have had 10
suffer2 Aren't they claiming a monopoly
in the gains Of a martyrdom we're all
sharing? Do you honestly at the bottom
Of your own heart, think that farmers
have been hit any harder In the last Two
years than other working men? Or than
other business men? Or than other pro-
duce-s?"
I take this opportunity to repeat and
somewhat amplify the answer made this
critical friend.
Yes, sir, do think that the farmers Of
the country have been hit harder than any
other body Of workingmen or Of prodpc
ers"
NO. sir, I don't think they're squcaling
one bit louder than the actual facts war
rant"
On the contrary. think they wOnId be
justified in putting. considerable greater
pressure behind the trumpet OF their dis
tones several octaves higher: would, in
fao,. - justified in turning it into a bugle-
call OF revolt against the whole mismanag-
Cd and evil-worlIing business anG political
system which has permitted and still per
uits such gross and manifest injustices as
The facts prove.
For. in protesting against che seeming
ly deliberate and malicious way in which
the farmers have been bastinadoed and i'm
paled during the past two years. we are
not baEing our protest on imagined gr'fev-
a7ces or hypothetical assumptions.
We are basing them on ascertained facts
For instance. The National Bureau OF
Economic Research, an organization OF
trained experts, after an investigation
lasting many months and covering the Ell
tire country. has lately reported its find
iEss as to incomes. profits. etc Some OF
these findings are conclusive as 70 the sit
ustion Of farmers now and during the past
ten years
The case. 600 working farmers Of ths
country COMPRISE just about Is per cent
or all its workingmen. That is. Of every
hundred persons employed at labor fol
gain sixteen are farmers. In a fair dis
tribution Of incomes, therefore of every
500 paid as such to workingmen, the
farmers ought to have had SIG. AS mat
ter Of fact, their average for. the past ter
years has been $685., and in 1920 tht
last year for which figures are available
their share was only S1Og0 This
though the total individual incomes Of III.
country were the biggest in that same 92(
"a. any year in the country's history. II
TACT they were more than double what
hey were in 1910. That is, the total indi
ridual income of all the people Of the
United Safes was thirty billions in 1915
and almost sixty-eight billions in 1920
Out Of every 500 Of it, the farmer got
sl3-2O in 1910; he got $1,000 in 1920.
The big total was more than doubled
he farmers share shrank by almost one
third
Why should the farmer have to suffe1
this comparative loss while the aggregat
business industry in other fields wa
doubling its gains.
And on what ground of justice shall h
be blameeN for complaining against tn
manifest and gross inequity?
The bureau Of economic research IA
brought out another illuminating fact W
all know that it isn't so much the numbe
OF dollars we have which counts, as tn
amount Of supplies which those dollar
viii purchase. For illustration: If $40
would buy a certain amount Of -four an
POTATOES and sugar and beef in 1913, Will
# takes 5000 to buy the same amounts o
the same things in 1920, then one mus
have an income of twice as many dollar
In 1920 to be as we'll off as he was, 0
half the income in 1910.
The real question which is hardest fl
all Of US, not How many dollars have W
eot2 but, How much will our dollars guy
In other words, What is the purchasin
power Of dollar2 ......-
Well. taking the dollars riurchasin
power in 1910 as a standard to maasur
by, the bureau finds that the average farm
ers income for the last ten years ha
with two exceptions. always been 4 tri1
lower than the incomes Of other wo-Fune
gsinfully employed. Tn 1918 and 1919 h
income was worth. in purchasing powe
Just wee bit more than the a7ers g