Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1932-08-04

Another farm Cnnn
The present level of agricultural pr'c-
es brings another crisis to the Montana tar
mers. Never in the history of the organized
marketing system AVE prices been 20 low-
One guess is as good as another as to when
they will be higher. What to do IS the ques-
ton with thousands of farmers
Locally the situation IS not entirely
hopeless. If there IS nc profit IN the crop.
there is feed in it and there IS seed IN IT. The
farmer can not pay debts with 40 cent
wheat, especially when that IS the price tor
the top grade and apparently much OF the
crop in this section will take a low grade
and consequently a lower price
The average farmer is honest and
worried. He does not like TO think OF obj
cations that cannot be met. He likes to pay
his bills. He remembers the red tape and
the strict conditions of the federal feed
and seed loans. and he visions foreclosures
and many of the other dire consequences
that befaIl the debtor who cannot pay
There will be no such foreclosures
The fact is. quite probably. that the
government wants neither his land. hls
livestock or his chattels and that no one
else wants them. There is a good reason
They are worth less to any other interest
than to the farmer who understands how
to handle them. There win be no such fore
closures for the reason they are not good
business for any of the varying interests
involved
-T There is another fact that should be
borne In mind in considering this situa-
ton. While the future is not entirely clear.
il IS quite evident there will be no Red
Cross aid in Sheridan county this coming
winter. no feed loans and In all probability
no seed loans. These are facts which may
as well be faced frankly
The hardboiled and unreasonable COX
lector will be more conspicuous BY his 40
sence than his presence this fall he and hrs
EMPLOYERS realize that you cannot get
blood from a turnip- The creditor who can
get money from a debtor before the debtor
gets it, has never yet appeared
The whole experience with federal re
lief has been Disappointing.
Nothing more utterly dumb was ever
done in the name of relief for the farmers
than to furnish him money to buy seed. en-
courage him to plant It and at the time OF
harvest fail to provide for the necessary
expenses of cutting, threshing and getting
gram to the market
1t is a splendid demonstration OF the
failure of Secretary Hyde and his depart
ment to realize or attempt to meet the
most practical problems they set out to
solve. The waiver of 4 cents a bushd On
wheat and rye and 2 cents on barley and
oats means nothing 1t accompanies noth-
ing in a country where the ordinarily avail
able sources of credit are closed to the FAR
mer. And especially it means nothing at
current price levels. If it means anything OF
significance to the farmer it may well mean
that never again should he depend upon the
federal government to furnish raoncy to f.
nance his activities, and especially under
an administration that fails as utterly a. has
this to understand his problems. however
good its intentions may have been
Ii is another evidence that the road to
plain. old fashioned, brilliantly blazing. 81
perheated economic he'll Is paved with the
good intentions of politicians The farmer
has always had one good. faithful friend
he can depend upon. 1t is himself On that
friend more than ever he must depend to-
day.