The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1923-07-05

prooucts OF the
farm are thrown upon the mar
ket in large quantities. Oul
farmers do not attempt to sup
ply their own needs from wha,
they produce but rely on PURCHASING
what they need from the sale of the
product or products that they are
able to produce best and most eco
nomically.
Land, labor and capital are the
three factors involved in production
A rise in any one of these factors in
creases the cost Of production. Land
values have been rising rapidly. This
means that many Of our farmers have
become wealthy not so much from
the farm products sold from the farm
but from the rise In value Of land
They are enjoying what is commonly
spoken of as the "unearned incre
ment." Some day somebody will have
to pay for this. II we do not then II
will be our children or our children's
children.
Something to Think About
1t is said that only from 7 to 1!
per cent Of the farms Of the United
States are inherited. The rest must
be paid for in whole or in part once
with each generation. Can this be
done? With increasing land values
this becomes increasingly more diff
cult. A reasonable rate Of interest
on land worth $4,000 will involve
an interest or rental charge Of $500
to $500 per acre. On land worth
$4,000 this will be from $4,000 ia
$4,000 per acre. This is a heavy fixed
charge for the farmer who attempts
to pay for his farm in the course of o
life time. Unless this can be done IL
means that we are to be cursed with
q permanent tenant system.
The census shows that our farm
acreage has not increased near In pro
portion to the increase in population.
It is true that we have regions of un.
developed or only partially developed
land, but the unused land is the least
productive or is poorly located OF
needs development, or the rainfall is
uncertain. Our labor costs are great.
er than in European countries and as
increased yields per acre usually in.
volve more labor the increase in pro
duction from more intensive culture
or from developing less desirable land
takes place slowly. Improvements In
our country which increases labor OF
utilization of less desirable land in.
volve higher prices for food unless
the farmer is willing to take less
profits.
The greatest problem of our nation
is to have men on farms that can
produce food at prices that the con.
sumner can afford to pay. The farmer
has the job of feeding the world. He
cannot loaf on the job. He must do
his best to select crops, livestock,
feed, bread and conduct his business
economically so as to furnish food at
low cost and at the same time he
should have a reasonable return If
agriculture is to be made permanent,
profitable, and comfortable.
Civilization Needs the Farmer
The solution of our food problem is
directly connected with the land prob
lem. If there is proper adjustment,
between the value Of land and the
other factors of production and the
prices Of farm products then it will
be possible for the farmers to attack
this problem with the hope of arriv.
ing at satisfactory solution. II land
values are run up beyond their value
for production purposes in order that
the speculator, be he farmer or real
estate dealer, may make money then
the real farmer will find farming un.
profitable. The brighter and more
ambitious young men will be at
tracted away from the farm and the
farmers as a class will deteriorate.
This in turn will mean that our civil
Ization will go backward instead of
forward.
Every citizen is therefore interested
In the land problem and should use
bis influence to see that spectators
do not run the selling value beyond
production value. Fictitious land
values spell higher cost Of living and
ultimately lower class Of citizens as
farmers.