The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1926-09-16
: PESSIMISM BAD DIET.

frAs 49, ->------@-~
Secretary Jardine of the Agricul-
tural Department, is not loquaclous
man, but when he does talk he usually
has something to say. ~~--t-
In recent speech to farm organi-
cations at Syracuse, N. Y, the Secre-
tary of Agriculture said;
"The end If the war which found
American farmers as well as all other
business, suffering from over-produc-
ton, caused a general comedown all
over. We went down in proportion to
the effectiveness of our organizations.
"Steel companies and such highly
organized industries, could readjust
themselves to meet new conditions
quickly. Within thirty days they
colud accomplish what it would take
the different agricultural enterprises
months to do. Where you have ami
mails to take care of and when you
have crops planted, it is not possible
to make the REIMBURSEMENT quickly, at
least eighteen months are needed, and
as a consequence agriculture went
down longer than other organized in
dustries.
"But we have gone long way in
three years. Agriculture in the west
is getting on its feet. We have mark
eted our surplus, maybe at loss, but
we have marketed our surplus.
''Now the farmers there are getting
on their feet. They went down. But
they are coming back, and what is
more they still have their homes.
These they didn't lose, though their
families suffered many hardships and
had to go without many things. Now
prices are somewhere near the pre-
war level. Feed is cheaper in COM
parison with the prices you are get
ting for your milk, and the crops
throughout the country promise to be
good.
with the purchasing power of the
farmers bettered after they have
made their turnover on these crops,
we will see business improved all
along the line"
Here is real note of optimism for
the farmer and the student of gen.
eral business conditions in the United
States will feel that it is justified.
And what the farmer needs just now,
almostas much as heneeds good crops
and higher prices, is little optimism
mixed with his daily diet
Since the period of deflation the
farmer has had nothing much in a
publicity way but diet of pessimism.
He has been told he is going to the
dogs so many times that he became
discouraged and wondered what was
the matter with him. The price of
farm land went down and it has not
gone up yet to any considerable ex-
tent.
One reason it continues to be fiat is
that so many people have said that
farming doesn't pay and never will
pay again. How long would the bust
ness men of any community remain in
business if they persisted in declaring
that the town was going to the dogs
and that their particular business was
on the rocks? How much would the
real estate of any progressive city be
worth if the newspapers, commercial
clubs and other civic organizations
would declare to the wide world that
it was dead town, would never be
any better and that people ought to
stay away from it? 1t is just as logi-
cal to think the farm values can be
increased by declaring that farming
as an industry is forever ruined
Of course everything should be done
to help the farmer, andhe should run
his farm on business principles and dc
everything he can to help himself, and
one of the first helpful things to do is
to get over our agricultural pessimisn
and look to the future.