Evening star., 1926-01-24
RE WILLIS j. BAIIINGFR.

" HE condition of the farmer has
improved but il is still far
from satisfa ctory. and this be-
cause the farmer Is not get
ting his fun share Of the pros
perity which he helps so much TO
make.
That in brief was the summary OF
the farm problem given me by Secre-
1ary of Agriculture Jardino. And 10
this he added the important Gualit'ca
tion that the So-called farm p'oblem
was not just a problem but whole
bundle Of problems.
| had gone to Secretary IsrGine to
discuss the much agitated agricultural
situation which is loomins so form-
dah1N on the political horizon. In the
last few weeks the Middle West has
seethed with dissatisfied interests who
have threatened an open break with
the Coolidge administra tion If RENE
dies We're not speedily applied.
Spark That Fired Revolt
The spark that apparently fired the
magazine of revolt was President Cool
idce's expression Of satisfaction with
the general prosperity of The country.
Then bedlam m broke loose III the Hawk
eye State. 4 thousa nd :nCensed farm
ers. with the CLINT of suspicion in
their eyes and resolution of pitch
fork opposition on their faces. swarm
ed like aroused hornets into general
conference. Even Senator Cummins.
stalwart administration supporter.
spoke from The same platform with
Senator Brookhart. threatened with a
loss of his seat for his apostaCy from
Coolidge Republica nism. and Joined in
the general hue and cry to the extent
of admitting that the program Of the
administrat ton toward the farmer did
not 60 far enough To .Srcc esSfully cope
with the crisis
found Nr. Jardine Glad To he
Quizzed plea asincly frank ana open in
the way he met my queries.
Net Income Still Low.
| began with the question. ~" hE.
Mr.. Secretary. is the farmer N in
arms gain after eConom sts have - id
that last wear was the heST wear tie
farmer has experienced since 1913
and that another such 'fgr would put
the farmer on his feet? These samA
economists predicted almost as good 4
year this year.
A. II is true that lest wear he in
come Of the American farm ar was the
hest since 1919 ami that farm returr~
this wear promise to be about as good.
but il must not therefore he assumed
that this marks return Ia salts
factory condition. Tna fermcrS in
come last year ws.S considerably, le'r'N
. that Of the period before the dspr's-
sion The average net income Of
farmers and their families for labor.
risk and mana cement. excluding N"
rental value Of their houses. i esti
mated 1T S64a in ig.- compared with
sa47 in 1919 and sl.370 in iolS Ills
earnings dropped ss low a. S'9i n
1927. and averaged s424 during The
four yearS 1920 10 1928. In The i1ss
four five Years thu earnings Of The
farmer and his family h~Vc scarce ~
enualed the wages pail for ured labor
on the farm. while n-agriCultural
business enteIpl'izo as {" whole have
enjoyed an unusual period nf pros
perity The net income per 12rm
famil;. in 1923 was still 81 per cent
below the income u l3lA. while the
wages received by f&clorv employees
have been on pl: with WAGES q.
f9ta every year except in 1927 and
1922. Farmers. of course. cannot be
expected To recouo IL one o. tw" ro.<-
soma bly, good wears the severe losses
they sustained IN three ur lour eX-
ceedingly bad wears.
1t should also be remembered that
the Improvement in conditions has
not been shared equally by All farm
ers The dissatisfaction this year
seems tu he greatest in the areas
which produce corn for market.
Farmers in these areas who We're en-
couraged by high prices At planting
time find at marketing time that
prices have dropped To low levels.
Not Getriug Proper share.
O. Whit is the trouble With the
former
\. - have - id. the farmer is
not getting . proper share of the
n&tional income. No croup Of pro
Glcsrs suffered more severely during
fhc postwar Gefiatiun. While prices
of his products dropped to rUinOuSlH
low levels taxes. freight rates and
general operating costs remained high.
Md 10 this the fact that ma ny farm
ers bought land at high prices or
contracted other debts al war prices.
which they have had difficulty in
meeting ont of their Shrunken in
comes. and you will unGerata nd that
there has been real ground for their
dissatisfaction. To he sure. some Of
the nal& djustment in prices has been
corrected. but farmers have not reach
ed en- economic pa rity with other
great groups Of producers.
O. Is the unprohta hieness Of farm
ing causing IN alarming miGra tion
from the rural sections to the city?
\. The farms Of this country have
always produced a surplus population
which moves to the cities. During the
worst wears OF the depression this
movement took on alarming proper
tions During the year 1922 alone il
is estimated that tha mel shift from
country TO city amounted to 1.l2n 600.
The movement to cities has now been
materially retarded. rejecting. no
doubt the improveme mt in The farming
situation. Until farming conditions
right themselves. however. We may
EXPECT the cityward drift 10 c"ntinu"
somewhat larger than normal