The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-07-25
.PROBLEMSOF WHEAT
FARMER DISCUSSED
GEORGE SEWERS, CONGRESSMAN
FRENCH STATE CONDITIONS
AND POSSIBLE REMEDIES


AS previously announced the We'd
nesday meeting of the Moscow cham
Der OF commerce was given over
largely to a discussion of problems
affecting the farmer, and their pos
sible solution, George Sievers, mana
ger of the Moscow Union Warehouse
company, one of the most successful
cooperative farm organizations OF
the northwest, and Congressman
Burton l.. French, being the speak
ers. A number of farmers were
present to hear the discussion. Both
speakers agreed that if the wheat
farmer is to get back to anything
like prosperity, there must be some
condition brought about which will
enable him to work out his problems.
Opportunity is the Need
Mr.. Sievers stated that while the
farmer is in serious dilemma, all
he is asking is an equal opportunity,
SO that he may work out his prob
lens and stand on equal footing with
those engaged in other pursuits. He
said that he felt that the farmer has
not been given a fair opportunity and
asserted that there is always a Senti-
ment created by the business inter-
ests and the press, if the farmer be-
gins to get on his feet and to make
himself felt, to block the movement.
He pointed to the fact that at Least
so per cent of the people who so
into business fail, and said that the
percentage of farm organizations
which failed was not equal to that
percentage. He pointed out that 1t
was easy to get legislation OF any
kind almost at once when the nation
faced a war crisis, but that since the
war, when the farmer is facing
crisis, which affects the whole Dus1-
ness structure to greater or less
extent, it seems impossible to get any
beneficial action. He told of the
price of International Harvester Co.
binders, which can be bought in
France, after being shipped from
this country, at $125, while the Am
erican farmer must pay approx
mately $500 for the same machine,
and said he would like to see the
wheat farmer protected also TO the
extent that he could demand price
sufficient to cover the loss on his
surplus.
Not Strong for DiyersificatiOn
Mr.. Sievers said that people out
side the agricultural industry urged
diversified farming and especially the
development of the dairy Industry.
This, he said, would necessitate al
most a 16-hour day for the farmer,
while others were doing their work
in eight hours. Employment OF help
to handle the work, at any reason
able price, he said was impossible,
and that the farmer, to handle dairy
ing in connection with his other work,
must make a slave of himself and
his family. He cited she present
price of hay, So baled, in the ware
house, and said it meant work with
absolutely no profit.
Mr.. Sievers said that it seemed to
him that cooperation among the
farmers, and cooperation on the part
of the commercial world seemed to
him the only thing that would solve
the farmers problems, giving the
farmer an opportunity to work out I
his salvation on the same basis as
the business man, or the many in
any other line of work. This, he
said, must be done through legis-
lative and financial measures and
through the public aiding instead OF
retarding every upward movement
on the part of the farmer He said
the press, the schools and other in
stitutions should cooperate with >uhe
farmer and foster his organizations,
which are important to the entire
This, he said, could be done 4
without costing the country anything,
and would work out to the benefit
!
hard, in a country as productive as
the Palouse, that the farming indus
try should be the least prosperous of
all industries.
Mr.. Sievers was given the closest
attention throughout his talk.
Farmers Condition DiscOuraging
Mr.. French said that the one dis {
matter in the trend of the
nations business toward vastly i'm
portant economic conditions is that
which has to do with the farmer. The |
farmer is compelled to pay vastly {
more for that which he buys than he (
did before the war and is not re-
,eiving a compenSating return for his
products. In freight, he pays from
so per cent to 60 per cent more than t
before the war, while the cost of farm
lumber, labor that he must I
employ, and other fixed charges for {
the maintenance of the farm, are, I
generally speaking from SO per cent s
@ 100 per cent higher than they were q
seven years ago.
Cause of Low Prices
Mr.. French ascribed the cause of
ow prices of farm produce and more c
wheat, to several condi- t
ions: I
1. We had a 3O0,0O0,0O0 bushel E
,arry-over of wheat at the time the /
1923 wheat crop began to reach the '
markets. t
2. The economic situation in Eur I
,pe is adverse to the American wheat i
armer for several reasons: i
(a) Production in Europe is lar Q
,er than In 1922.
(b) The purchasing power in Eur
,pe is less than last year.
(c) Europe will be practically t
in creals this year. l
Tor instance. France will probably c