The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-10-23
.sTHE PLIGHT OF THE FARMER"

II is interesting and of Importance to
know what actual conditions are IN lar
distant sections of the country and what
the citizens of those sections are thinking
about and doing in the present abnormal
state of the country. A farm woman cor
RESPONDENT of the Christian Science Mon
itor in the distant State of Wisconsin, pre-
SCENTS her views and they should be help
full to readers of this newspaper in arrlV-
ing at true understanding of conditions
in the Northwest. This correspondents,
Alice Damon, of Clayton, Wisconsin, says:
The pitiful, almost tragic, thing about our pres
emf economic state is the amazing lack of under
standing between classes of producers and the lack
of correct knowledge of one section of the coun-
try of the other This could not but be brought
homie forcibly to one on reading 1.-The Farmers
Plight" by Evelyn Harris. (The Wide Horizon,
September 2O)
We must all stand on common ground with her
in acknowledging that the plight of the farmer
regarding mortgages and taxes is serious indeed.
But to isolate the farmer and his problem, con-
demning other classes of business and the govern
ment is to- defeat the purpose of the very cause
for which Mrs Harris pleads. To give him tenn
porary financial security at the expense of his cred
itors is not only an injustice to the creditors but
ruins the farmers credit and upsets business IN
way which cannot but react, at least indirectly,
unfavorably to him.
The farmers creditors are not in the main "big
bankers They are in a majority of cases country
bankers and small investors who have put their
hard-earned savings into farm loans and are de-
pendent, entirely perhaps on the income from
these loans. could cite an instance of an elderly
widow who has her small savings invested in farm
loans and is viewing with dismay and apprehen-
sion the state and federal laws which are taking
away practically all protection from her invest
ments She is living frugally, almost in depriva-
ton. These earnings represent lifetime of saw
ing and sefsacrfce on the part of herself and her
husband.
One of her farm debtors, whose loan was small
and his farm valuable, came to her and asked for
. cancellation of substantial part of the loan.
When questioned, he admitted that he had no diff
culty in paying the interest, that he was not hard
pressed and had no other debts, but that every
body was getting a reduction and he thought he
ought to have one, too.
The Frazier-Lemke bill practically amounts to a
reputation of debts and obligations and will prove
TO be of far more harm to the farmer as a class
than it ever can be of good 1t will relieve those
who have been poor farmers, unwise spenders, and
agitatorS in the country grocery store from meet
ing their obligations live in a farming corntnun-
ity, and am in constant touch with farm problems
and conditions, and It is my observation that it is
not the honest, intelligent, Woodworking farmer
who will need the h1ll
The picture of the farmers wife who, with her
work in gardening and poultry raising, has kept
shoes on the feet of the children and oil in the
lamps in the Kitchen" is both pathetic and effec-
tive 1t might have been more realistic, however,
to have spoken OF keeping the electric current ON
IN the kitchen and gas in the automobe.h 8.
Smelodrama does not, any more than indifference.
help US to understand the farmers situation. Farm
ers are not starving Stand for few minutes in
any little country store on 8 Saturday night and
you will ind It heartenings to see them filling ,up
their egg cases with cake -four, jeIlo, bananas and
other near-luxuries '.
How little one section of eur vast country seems
to understand what is going on in another section
is illustrated by the misconception Of Fasteners
regarding the drought situation in the Middlewest
We read in the newspapers and hear over the radio
of the desolate waste which the Middlewest Ia,
become-it is pictured practically trackles
desert which has little hope of coming back t,
normal fertility and fruitage. Nothing could b.
farther from the truth. The crops are fair, AM
even a few days of rain has brought springlik
green to the hiTlsides and pastures.
An Of this is by way Of plea for understand
ing and a sane. and unbiased view of the farme
and his problems, but do not for moment di
relied 91Slt YET '-- <ssiOjG