The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-08-30


United States, the thirty-odd
lies, the factory owner, the ]
teacher, professional man, b'
man?
For there is no blinking Il
do not pay the war debts, the
pay them.
How could it help us-our
being taxed to pay those bill
lions?
The farmers are the most
numerous group of American
workers: How could it help
them?
To get at the answer, let's have
a look at some of the crops and the
prices they bring. After all, that Is
what determines not only the pros
perity of the farmer, but very large
ly that of the nation.
Wheat Price TObOggans
Last year, according to the de-
partment of agriculture, 892,OOO,OOO
bushels of wheat were grown in
this country The price paid the
producers, as of December, was not
even As cents a bushel-less than
wheat has sold for in 300 years
The value of the entire wheat crop
was only $400000,OOO.
ANYTHING. therefore, that caused
wheat prices to rise 10 cents bushel
would mean $90,OOO,O00 year to the
growers. Seventy-cent wheat-and
it has averaged more than that Tor
100 years-would put an extra $780,
100000 into the farmers pockets
annually.
Last year approximately 100000
bales of cotton we're produced IN this
country. The price to producers was
around 81 cents a pound That
meant only $485, 100000 for the crop.
Anything that caused cotton to
rise 2 cents a pound would add $40
a bale and boost the cotton farm
ers' income $170,O00,000 a year.
And cotton has averaged above
8 cents ever since they started
gathering reliable cotton statistics
back in 1875.
Would Add Millions
Seventy-ceMt wheat and Scent
cotton-certainly modest enough
figure-would add between $35OOOO,-
600 and $4OO,OOO,OOO a year to the
income of wheat and cotton grow
ers alone.
The American meat crop-to cite
lust one more-in 1929 brought pro-
ducers $2,815, 100000, according to
the official agricultural year book.
Estimates for this year are not
much above $1,00O000,000. This
represents a loss Of somewhere
around ST ,500,000000.
Anything that caused cattle to
advance 81 a head, on 10000 600
head basis, would mean an extra
$120,O0O,000 year to the raiser.
Thus only a very slight advance
in the price of these three com
modities alone would benefit the
American farmer more than $780,
100000 a yee :, and the last years
unpaid insts lment of the war debts
amounted to less than half that
amount.
Total Far Down
Total farm products in 1929
brought $4,000. 100000 This year
farmers will feel lucky if their
crops bring them $4,000, 100000.
Any world change for the better
which would restore commodity
prices to just half what they we're
three years ago, would add $4,000
900 900 to the purchasing power of
the people on the farms.
What helps the farmer helps all.
About 80 per cent of the buying
power of the country is in his hands.
He buys automobiles and acceSSor-
les. He buys fertilizers and farm
machinery.
He buys furniture. radios, clothes,
goods of all kinds, and luXuries when
he can afford them.
Two billion dollars distributed
among the farmers means 20 billion
merchandise and service dollars
making the rounds of the country.
Each such dollar turns over about
ten times year.
Would Boom Business
That means American industries
would get more orders, hire more
workers, buy more raw materials.
It means stores would find their
business picking up and stocks
would have to be replenished. Rail
roads would have more freight to
haul.
Laid-off employees would find
themselves drifting back to work.
Like the rings around a pebble
dropped in a pond, the cycle of bet
ter times would keep on spreading
until all of us found ourselves in
SIDE.
So. if a way could be found to
swap the war debtS-which Europe
say she never can pay-for an i'm
proved world situation which would
boost commodity prices and keep
them boosted, the American people
would stand TO profit several simes
over.
How the ball might be started
rolling in that direction will be
suggested in another article.
Next-"The War Debts and Mr..
Jones'"
What is said TO be the largest
X-ray photograph taken in the