The New York herald., 1922-09-17
The Farmers Prospects.
Large Crops This Year Promise to
Bring Him Small Returns.

A1A6 AAAuA CAu0kA 1ACtuAnos
To THE NEW York HERALD Your edi-
torial article headed Let Us Examine
the Facts" Is timely and to the point.
Instead of facing the most prosperous
season In many years." as Secretary
Wallace Is alleged to have said. the truth
Is that more farmers are on the verge
OF bankruptcy than for many. many
years.
Hay cannot be sold for the cost OF
production. the same is true Of rye. and
while corn is q bumper crop 1t will
have to be cold Indirectly to bring any
proht to the farmer. and as very few
farmers are In a position to market It
otherwise than directly they cannot hope
to realize any profit on that crop.
White potatoes. which cost us 81 cents
bushel to produce In this section,
where ono ton OF fertilixer Is used to an
acre. are going begging for 25 cents a
bushel. Advices from all other CONNER
cial potato producing sections show q
similar condition exists. Notwithstand-
Ing that consumers In New York and
other points Of large consumption are
paying from three to six cents a pound
from $3.50 to $500 q bushel-tne
grower ID not getting one-third the cost
Of production.
Last year. when the crop was short
2e.oo0.0oo bushels OF the fve year aver
age. from 1900 to 2.10o carloads were
shipped daily. while this year. with an
estimated crop OF 65,000.o00 bushels
more than the five year average, the
daily shipments range from 500 to 500
carloads from the commercial potato
growing districts. The prices last year
were from Is cents to $1.25 a bushel
this year they have dropped to from 20
to 40 cents bushel, and the car load
ings have been divided by three. Sec
retary Wallace's sharps might get busy
on these facts and tell US why 1t is so.
In 1920 the farmers made no money:
In 1921 they very generally lost money.
and this year. with bumper crops and
prices away below cost of production, a
large percentage OF them are facing
bankruptcy and not prosperity, as Sec
retary Wallace is alleged to claim. Those
farmers who can stand their losses will
surely carry over large indebtedness to
another year.
Few II any city people realize that
the labor income OF the general farmer
averages but a trihe more than 81 a
day throughout the country while en-
gagged in producing food for other labor
organized and unorsanized. which 10
apparently not content with 81 an hour.
Since the Federal Government provided
US with Food Administration. which in
turn promulgated rules. regulations and
restrictions. we are hampered In every
move; we are inspected. suspected. lied
to. lied about and handicapped in every
manner possible by State and Federal
so-called food departments. The officials
In charge Of these departments are polit-
ical appointess. and as the alleged In
spection Is done at destination points
by inspectors who virtually live with the
buyers little favor is given to the ship
per Of the produce.
We cannot sell our products AZ for
merly. but must guarantee them through
to destination. and II there is any loss
we must shoulder It. and tho only thing
that we are sure OF Is tho commissions
we have to pay the broker. We lay
down sack of potatoes on the sidewalk
in the wholesale district Of New York
for about three-quarters Of . cent q
pound. freight commission and broker
ago paid. and the Same product reaches
the consumers table at 4 cost Of any
whore from three to six cents q pound.
If Secretary Wallace really wishes to
aid the farmer. instead Of telling about
the wonderful prosperity that does not
exist he should bring tho entire force
Of his department to finding markets in
other parts OF the world where shortages
arc said to exist. thus enabling the farm
er TO get at least cost for his product:
possibly food products could be carried
as badly needed freight in our Govern
ment owned boats.
With the buying power OF about 3a,-
100000 OF our people exhausted tho re-
mainder cannot be wholly prosperous.
Tho retailers war time habit Of
charging from 100 to 800 per cent. pront
cuts consumption materially, and possi-
bly, II the consumer knew how little the
producer gets for the food he Is paying
war time prices for It might have the
effect Of bringing about lower prices.
Tho farmer wants no legislation to
beneflt him as a class, as he Is a self
respecting citizen; nor does he want any
cureall stun; no political Inspections
rules and regulations made by and for
the distributor. as those bureaucratic
burdens only make for higher costs and
moro trouble. We got along very well
before the war when we had mono Of
those meddiers, and there will be little
encouragement for farmers until we ara
rid Of them. q. T. McCun.
HroHrsrowN, N. J.. September 1s.