Evening star., 1923-09-23
Philosophy Urged on Farmers
AS a Help in Hour of Stress

|, fits to him. The labor side is easy to
understand. If the laborer has to pay
more for farm products he will have
to have more. wages-and he very
probably Will get more. The condi-
tion of the farmer is anything but
funny; the thought, however, that the
farmer should hook himself UP in a
political combination with the fellow
who has been largely responsible for
his condition is to me amusing.
When the Congress could not recon-
eile the contending theories of what
to do for the farmer, it cut the Cor
dian knot by enactfng them all into
law. Months have passed and the
farmer Is where he was. Even the
Congress has its limitations. 1t is
unable to prevent return of the sea
sons, the termination. of seed, the
growth of crops. 1t has no formula
that will compel men to eat two
bushels OF wheat where he ate but one
of the old world from raising some
of the wheat that they bought of US
during the war. What are we going
to do about 1t?
X 4*
Neither utter Indifference nor wild
eyed agitation Will solve the problem.
Some say we must have an extraor-
binary session of Congress at once to
the government to buy and store a
couple of hundred millions of bushels
of wheat. Then to keep from going
broke on the enterprise, 1 suppose we
shall engage the ministry to pray for
rust and weevil in next years crop in
order to keep down the supply. AS
always, wisdom has come out of the
mouths of babes and sucklings. Some
| Kansan, unknown to fame, has sug-
gested that if we have too much wheat
| we sow less of 1t this next fall--re-
duce the wheat acreage. The law of
supply and demand is subject to in
reference now and then. But in the
end II we are raising too much of one
crop we must turn our attention to
another; we must act as the prudent
manufacturer does when he finds no
call for his product.
Deplorable as is the condition of
the farmer, 1t is no worse than I
have known it to be three or four
times before. But his condition OF
| mind Is not as 1t formerly was
| Thousands are every year leaving
| the farms of America, not solely be-
cause of the depression in farm prices.
! but because of the call Of the city. The
| scarcity of labor. the high prices
J that 1t commands the seemingly
easier life and larger opportunities
| for enjoyment-ail these are actin q
as a magnet to draw men from their
rural environments to the industrial
centers. AS I look at tho hurTyins u
/ throngs in our great cities coming,
| nobody knows whence, and going.
| nobody knows where. dwelling In
| oooped-up tenementS. strained and
| anxious about the affairs of life
dissatisfied with their condition, ]
may be mistaken. but I always feel
| that, however distressful q farmers
| lot may be, however meager the
| remuneration for his labor, Emer-
sons law Of compensation still holds
moro than good in his case. He is
in the open. breathing pure air. su-
| joying Gods sunshine. He has 4.
| certainty OF employment and surety
| OF q living. He has freedom TO think.
Yes his condition now Is bad enough:
/ hope It can be made better; but ]
trust he will have the philosophy To
| realize somo of the compensations.
| Whatever else may happen to him
| pray that ho may not lose heart
| or hope or that philosophIc calm,
which in every hour of trouble and
storm have hitherto maJe him the
sheet anchor CT the republic.
| Copyright. 1923. 21st Century Press)