Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1931-04-23
ORTUNATE

how low the price of commodities, should
consider themselves fortunate as compared
with eastern city jewellers. With countless
thousands out of work, these unfortunate
ones have no way in which to make a llv-
ING. Most of them, when times were good,
lived barely within their means. They had
no fear for the future, being confident that
the era of prosperity would never end. Most
of these city folks did not own their own
homes. but paid rent. They did not have
cows or chickens or pigs, or a big vegetable
garden with cellers full Of root crops stored
away for the winter, nor did they have a
qranarv with a goodly quantity OF wheat
which could be taken to a mill and ground
into flour. Paying rent month after month,
tramping the city over seeking for a few
DAYS work, only to be rebuffed at every turn
has turned thousands and hundreds OF
thousands to thinking and wishing them
Ives back on a farm, no matter how hum
e it be. They just have to eat, and when
no.~ comes in at the door, thoughts OF the
nm where such things are always found
ecomes uppermost.
Our farmer folks have not enjoyed as
aany useless Injuries as the pleasure loving
eity jewellers have, but in one luxury they
nave always revelled, and that is in plenty
0 eat.
Outside of our unfortunate widows and
feeble old folks, there are no one on Sherl-
dan county farms who have actually gone
hungry. There has been plenty for them all,
and there will always be plenty tor our
thrifty people.
1t is to be regretted that prices Of COM
nodities are a low as they are today. Butter,
eggs and cream which is the farmers yearly
tandby is now at low ebb prices, and some
armers seem to think it is the fault of the
ocal merchants, but this is not the case.
)verproduction throughout the entire ma
ion of these staple farm products have load
I'd the vast storage facilities of the country
to its utmost. This coupled with less demand
by the city jewellers who are unable to buy
with such ease and abandon as in past years,
has c%urtailed the demand.
Wheat, which is our main crop in this
country has also been overproduced. The
improvement in wheat has made it possible
for farmers in eastern states to plant two or
three acres each, to be used for flour. A few
years ago this land was used for pasture and
gardens, but is now converted into a means
of keeping the flour barrel full throughout
the year.
However, our present low prices for
wheat is nearly twice the price paid in our
neighboring country a few miles to the
north, and the people here should count
themselves fortunate in living in this land.
We feel exceedingly sorry for our far
mers who get such small prices for every
thing they have to sell. What affects them
affects every city dweller as we'll. Without
the tanners to depend upon, what would
PIentywood or any oher town in this terri
tory amount to? Simply nothing.
However, we overheard some farmers
talking the other day, and they were looking
at another angle of the local situation. They
were discussing the improved conditions in
lis county today as compared with twenty
ears ago when they settled on homesteads
here. They mentioned the fact of hauling
heir lumber and almost everything else
they needed on their homesteads for a dist
ance of over SO miles from the nearest mar
ket. They also mentioned the hauling Of
their wheat an equal distance to market. The
idea Of producing more butter and eggs than
would supply their own needs, as we'll as a
few nearby bachelors, was out of the ques-
ion in those days, as there was practically no
market for m
One Of them said We simply don't
know how lucky we are to be out here on
he p%rairies. We got plenty to eat, and near
y markets with much better roads than the
Id prairie trails and no bridges, make it pos
lille for ,s RI eniov life considerable moro