White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1934-12-13
THE SILVER LINING


Dark, gloomy weather. such as has prevailed
here during the past month, has always had de-
pressing effect on people. Together with gloomy
conditions in agriculture and business, it has had
the effect OF causing everyone to consider the pros
poets for the future.
Many have taken pessmistic viewpoint of the
outlook ahead and it is hard to find fault with
such viewpoint, for depressed farm prices, in
crease in the cost Of living and lack of winter en-
ployment, whereby some cash can be laid away for
the coming year. have made the problem of MAX
ing living increasingly harder.
On the other hand, all forecasts indicate better
farm prices on the average next year, and the
fact that prices of most farm products have ad-
vanced steadily during the past several years
seems to make these forecasts more certain.
Butterfat for instance, is now selling at 31b
cents per pound, eggs are bringing the producer
70 to 2o cents per dozen, while hogs and turkeys
and chickens are bringing better prices than last
year Last year at this time, butterfat was selling
at IL cents while eggs brought IA cents.
Not all farm products have risen as have these
Apples, especially, are far below what the grower
should receive. But the trend in general is toward
better and more stable prices.
Future prospects for the Priest Rapids valley
are as bright, brighter than those in other dis
trcts. 1t is we'll known that products grown here
command higher price in outside markets than
those OF other districts, and in normal years,
When early produce brings top prices the reverse
of which has been true for the past two years
growers here will receive more of an advan-
tage. AS power revenues of the irrigation district
Increase, the cost of water from the ditch is sure
to decrease.
Every cloud has silver lining, it is sad and
it is certain that the gloomy conditions of today
will soon give way to fairer days.
The past few years have seen large sums of
money spent upon relief by the federal and state
governments. 1t has accomplished some good it
has kept may families intact and preserved their
faith in the nation but it is idle to pretend that
it has accomplished enough to Justify the continll-
alton OF the present methods of administering
relief.
In too many cases the person who actually was
in need of aid has been unable to secure the nee
essary relief while the money which should have
been spent in aiding him has been wasted through
poor administration.
Well-planned, permanent methods of relieving
the unfortunate must be found. Some system
OF unemployment insurance and old age pensions
will undoubtedly be adopted in the near future
and these will, in large way, solve the problem
At the present time, four public agencies con-
tribute to the relief of the needy-the federal,
state, county and municipal governments In most
cases during the past year their efforts have been
overlapping, resulting in waste and nefficiency
deprlylng those who in want but too proud
of their independence to become public charges
of the aid which they should receive
For the coming year, are told, this state
must raise much more money for relief At the
same time the counties are expected to assume
larger share of the relief burden. This would indi-
cate still greater overlapping of relief work and
vestigate the Of such conditions.