Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-07-02


And though the attendance in other courses in our
universities and colleges has largely increased
since the war the number of students in agricul-
tural courses has decreased about third. Adam
doned farms, which in the New England states
excited so much comment a few years ago, are
now found in considerable and increasing number
in every state of the Union.
And yet despite these facts which are gathered
from the records there has been a persistent
effort during all these years Of farm distress to
minimize the seriousness of the agricultural stua-
tion. Interviews from prominent fnanciers, arti-
cles in magazines-one going so far, recall, as to
characterize the agricultural depression a myth
have appeared with astonishing regularity during
all this time, denying that there has been serious
situation upon the farm, announcing confidently
that the farmers troubles were over and that the
future was assured
&, Whatever may be- the popular opinion In the
cities upon the subject the ablest farm economists
generally agree that the farm situation Is des-
perate. This they think grows out Of the great
disparity between the prices Of the things the
farmer has to sell and the prices of the things he
has to buy. They see no permanent relief
until this disparity is removed. They think that 1t
may take from fifteen to twenty years to effect this
adjustment If nothing is consciously done to help
the situation. They expect this to be brought
about by the natural increase In our population
and by the running down Of the great farm plant
Of America.
At the end Of that time they tell us there will
be another maladjustment of prices, but this time
in favor Of the farmer with a great and unwhole
some increase in the cost Of living to the socalled
consuming classes, with it's attendant distress
A few months ago the Department of Agricu
ture issued it's statement of the estimated value of
farm crops for the last year. This was heralded
as another proof that agriculture had come into its
own For 1t found that the total value Of the farm
crops for the year threequarters of a billion
- AI.n 80 Io
year before. This, Of course, was welcome news
The report, however, disclosed some very perplex
ing facts. To illustrate, the corn crop was about
20 per cent smaller than the crop of the preceding
year. The total value, however, exceeded that Of
the preceding crop by almost $2O0,000000. And
every one knows that the quality Of this years
crop was far below the quality of the preceding
crop And yet under marketing system which
it is claimed is of the most noteworthy achieve
ments Of this commercial age, the smaller crop of
inferior corn worth more in the market than
the large and superior crop of the year before.
The cause Of this lesser and inferior crop was
a cold, wet summer. 1t was summer disastrous
for corn, but very favorable to the growth of
grasses in meadow and pasture. There was,
therefore, increase in the production of milk
with the result that something like 1OOOOOOOO
pounds more Of butter was produced in 1924 than
in the year before. This was but about per cent
Of the total annual production Of butter in the
United States. 1t created surplus, however on
account Of increased domestic consumption of only
about 100000 pounds or "a per cent as COM
pared with the surplus of the year before. This
relatively small increase, due to the same wet
days and cold nights which so seriously injured
the corn crop, resulted in decrease Of the price
of butter from 20 to % per cent.
Now suppose that the corn growers and milk
producers had been completely organized during
these years. do you believe that this depressing
and puzzling condition would have come aboutf
1t is safe to say that the larger part of the