Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-26
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

into the national treasury, out OF their
| farm operations, nearly $4,000, 900.
| Bankers now rate some of those sol
diers who started eight or nine years
ago with practically nothing as worth
between SIS. 900 and $20,000-all made
from their farms.
| 4 y X X
| Canadian farmers are always de-
pendent upon the prices in the world
market for practically all OF their
| products. They produce 46 per cent
as much grain as do the farmers Of
| the United States, yet American
i farmers are often Independent Of for
eign demand for their products. find
| ing ample tariff protected home
| markets. For nearly a score OF years.
prior to the discussion of reciprocity
with Canada on farm products. in
1911. not a bushel of Northwestern
hard wheat-either as wheat or -four
had been exported, and while THAI de-
bate was in progress over the reel
Drocity pact the prevailing market
price OF grain of the same grades
ranged IL cents a bushel higher on
the south of the international bound.
airy than it did north of that imag
mary line. because all OF American
States and was protected against
Canadian competition by a tariff.
Canada produces the same kind OF
grain This advantage TO American
farmers was attributable solely TO the
thriving industries here, making a
profitable home rnarket such as
Canada lacked in the same proper
ton TO its farm production.
Nevertheless. Caneda, dependent
on world markets. now boasts OF the
prosperity OF it's agriculture and offers
striking object lesson In the sue
cess OF its 10000 inexperienced former
soldiers in farming on what before
the war was undeveloped land. And
all that, in spite of climatic severity
and shortage of rainfall in much OF
the agricultural regions.
X u
While farmers have suffered from
oEerpr oduction OF certain crops, city
consumers have seldom benefited by
such abundance. Villagers. closer 10
the farms. have been invited to. come
out to orchards overburdened with Rp.
pies and other fruits for which there
was no demand at profitable prices.
and the visitors were invited to help
themselves" Yet a pound OF bread
cost 90 cents in 1918 and "a cents In
1926. A pound of pork chops cost 2O.3
cents in 1918 and 37.2 in 1926.
Potatoes are 1872 per cent higher TO
the consumer than in 1918: corn meal,
20 per cent higher: butter, 40 per cent
higher: eggs. 81 per cent higher: SIT
loin steak. 60 per cent higher; nam
104 per cent higher. and lamb. 1l5 per
cent more.
Climate remains the same. soil fer'
tility just as rich. except that FARMERS
are using less fertilizer, or at least
paying less for what they use: Even
the much accused faulty mtddleman
is no worse than he was before the
war. Farm help costs more. but tnat
does not affect the farmer VINO ue
ponds on his own labor.
While the farmers accuse Congress
and the other powers that nave tneir
local habitation in Washington WIN
to their farm prosperity
if special legislation TO give them
aid be defeated, there u
no region where the high cost OF Nv
ing has been greater than IN the
Capital Of the Nation.
For example, compare the increase
of food costs in various cities between
1913 and December, 1926:
In Los Angeles the Increased cost
was 47.S per cent. In Denver, 49,
per cent: in Minneapolis, 56.7. ana In
Washington, ID. c.. 72.4 per cent. In
1926 food costs fell slightly in most
parts of the country. while in Wash
ington the average cost rose. Whiie
wishing agriculture happy and pros
peroG New Year. 1927. is 1t not nat
urEl shnt Watching onians are saying
with great fervor, Me. TOOL!
(ccpyrlGht 1927. By Paul v. Coiiinsl