The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1926-09-30

herewith:
the business life of the country wht
is so stupid as not to definitely under
stand that the law of supply and de
mand does not operate in this coun
try in respect to any group except
ing the people of the farm when they
SELL the staple crops pof their land
The law of supply and demand does
not operate i'm the market in which
the farmer buys and this is another
point that / want you to hold ito, ano
digest. Since the development Cd
our protective system the law Cd
supply and demand has been definite
ly superseded. The price of drills
plows, wagons, clothing, lumber, coal
general building material and othea
things the farmer buys, are affected
in no way in respect to prices, by THE
matter of supply and demand. The
price of these commodities is the
same whether the supply is large on
the demand is small.
All this means THAT THE farmers
cost of production does not fuctuate
lit is fixed by our protective system
on a basis more than 100 per cent
higher than DIT was 10 or IL years ago.
The farmer cannot produce his crops
ON the same level of cost of produc-
ton as he did in the years gone by :.
The cost of production is the same
whether he has large crop or small
crop. Whether the prices are high OF
low when he SELLS.
The business groups to which ]
have called attention have been or
ganized for years. They have power
through organization. They have
been aggressive i'm their determine
ton to secure advantage by shutting
out as competitors the people of the
world who produce smaller goods and
service. And through the aggression
of these groups the Congress of the
United States has passed the follow
ing legislation which has resulted in
the protection Ito which have already
called attention, The Adamson law,
the acts restricting immigration, the
Federal acE, Reserve alct, the McC Cum
ber-F ordney tariff bill, the Seamans
act, the legislation providing for la
bor boards, coal boards, the inter-
state commerce commission, the ship
ping board and other legislation which
sets up machinery in aid of groups.
The Case of the Farmer
The increase of the prices the farm
er pays for what he uses and the
consequent doubling of the cost of
the production of his crops, has re-
suited i'm reducing the purchasing
power of the farmers production,
substantially 40 per cent during the
past seven years. These figures may
not exactly square with the so called
statistics which are furnished by
economists in the employ of these
who are doing their part ito keep the
farmers I'm a situation of subser-
viency, but, we submit Ito amy right
thinking man who is willing to make
an investigation of the facts, that if
the prices in the ordinary farmers
market town of the West are care
fully considered III will be found that
TINS statement is approximately cor
rect. BY the prices prevailing in the
farmers market town / mean the
prices he is compelled to pay there
Tor all THAT he uses and the prices he
receives There for what he sells. This
is true reflection of the farmers
actual income. His buying power
can be ascertained at no other place
excepting in the town where he buys
and sells. He pays the freight ON
his product that he sells and likewise
pays the freight on everything that
he buys. The freight and handling
and all other charges are taken out
of the price Jof his products when
he sells them and the freight, hand
ling and other charges are added on
TO the price of the thing THAT he buys
and he pays the price.
One entering the agricultural for.
UNI should do so free from prejudice
He should either speak the truth o1
keep silent. The farm people know
best what their problems are. I'm
fortunately all too many of the bust
ness men operating in the agricul
tural states, get their views on agri
cultural conditions, not in the com
munity in which they reside from ths
farm people themselves, but from pro
pagandiSts in the great cities of tn.
industrial East, who have been prop
agandizing the rural states agains
the movement lof the farm people TO
equality, during the past seven years
and THAT propaganda is more vigor
GUS, more disingenuous, more hypo
critical, more unworthy and un
| American lat the present time thai
ever before. I know of actual case
of prominent business men gettint
their views as to the conditions o
the farmers in their own county from
| Eastern business sources rather thal
getting them at home.
The Fordney- Nice umber tariff bil
made provision for tariffs on grain
i and meats to the end that the pro
ducers of these commodities, shout
receive for that portion consumed i
i America, an American price. An
fhis American price was intended t
ibe the world price plus the differenc