Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1923-01-10
NEW ENGLAND FARMER.
Hard Hit, but Not as Hard as the
Farmer of Other Sections.


Statement issued by II. Styles Bridges,
Secretary of the New Hampshire
Farm Bureau Federation)
| believe that the general thought
of a great majority of the New Eng
land farmers is that they are hit the
hardest of the farmers in any section
of the country. Up to a short time
ago, | could be classed with this
group which believes that farming
conditions are as unfavorable here as
they are anywhere in the country.
But, since taking a trip through the
West, and other sections of the coun-
try, and coming in contact with farm
ers and farming conditions in practi-
cally every state in the Union, have
reached the conclusion that New
England farmers are, comparatively
speaking much better off than the
farmers in many sections of our
country.
When the big drop in prices of
farm products set in, back in the
spring of 1920, the products of the
New England farms stayed, relatively
speaking, at considerable advantage.
The cotton belt and the corn belt
were hit very early, and the products
from thesensections collapsed almost
immediately below pre-war levels.
The farmers started at that time in
period of debt and despair, from
which, up to the present time, they
have not seen the light of day.
The far West, where most of our
food cattle are raised and mutton and
wool produced, was also hit hard.
New England and the East saw the
decline of their own products but
that decline was comparatively slow
er than the very violent decline of
the products of other sections of the
country Consequently, the farmers
of the larger portion of this country
have gone through three very hard
years, and on top of this, through in
fated land values, the Middle West
has suffered greatly.
For example, I was talking with
one farmer who told me that, in
1919, he had an offer of 100000 for
his farm, that at that time he had
$4,000 in the bank, that his farm
was we'll stocked and in good cond1-
ton His principal business was the
feeding and fattening of steers
brought from the far West, and the
growing and marketing of certain
grain crops. He told me that to-day
he had no money in the bank, that he
had been obliged 20 dispose Of large
portion of his stock, that he had
mortgage of $35 900 on his farm, and
stated that it was his honest opinion
that if his farm was put on the auc-
ton block to-day, it would not
bring the price of the mortgage
The case of this man is similar to
that of thousands of others.
The dairy farmer of New England
has been very hard hit the past few
years, especially the man who sold
his product at wholesale, and there is
no doubt in my mind that our dairy
farmers in New England suffered as
much or more than the dairy farmers
in any other section of the country,
and are still in very depressed con-
dition. One of the main hopes of sal
walton is the present pooling plan be-
ing considered under the guidance of
the New England Milk Producers as
sociation.
The potato farmer in Aroostook
has been very severely hit, and has
suffered three successive bad years.
But outside of these two lines, our
farmers are better off than the farm
ers of other parts of the country.
The poultryman, especially, has been
enjoying prosperity. | do, however,
most emphatically believe that the
farmers as a whole in this country
are in a most serious condition
They are facing a crisis.
In 1913, when we had a normal
dollar, farmer could take load of
produce to market and receive sum
of money for the same that was
worth one hundred cents on the dol
lar in purchasing power, but to-day,
when he takes his load of produce to
market, the money which he receives
is worth only GA cents on the dollar
in purchasing power of other com
modities. Business men throughout
the country are wondering why bust
ness in general is so poor. The
farmer doesn't have to wonder, He
has only to open his pocketbook, and
he has the answer. He has only to
figure the exchange value denoting
the purchasing power of his dollar to
see where the trouble lies.
Agriculture as an industry in this
country can never prosper until the
farmers dollar shall be worth as it
should be worth, one hundred cents
in the purchasing of other commodi-
ties.
My only idea in making this state
ment is to show the New England
farmer that he has companions in his
distress among his brother farmers
throughout the Nation that have been
hit as hard, or even harder, in many
cases, than he, and that if he knew
their actual condition, perhaps he
would not consider old New England
such a bad place to be farming in