Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-11-20
FAIR
ENOUGH
BY Westbrook
Pegler


II several Midwestern seden-
tary. or downtown pig farmers
who reported that they were
raising numerous swine on
farms out in the country.
They had two motives, TO con-
tribute food TO the general
supply and 10 make a few dol
lars, not necessarily in the
order named, and they we're
quite happy about their venture
because. as they said. when a
SOW pigs she doesn't play acey-
deucy with you-she spawns.
Then, after you have hurled a
reasonable amount Of feed into
the little pigs a fellew comes
along and takes them away and
gives you a check and, by that
time, or Whereabouts, the sows
are at il again, and so forth.
This was CHEEKY information
10 one who had put a couple OF
rather handsome boars and an
appropriate harem of sows over
in the woodlot but unforeseen
conditions have arisen now,
which were well, if mournfully,
put a few days ago by a Mr..
Van Ripper OF Elton. Conn. in a
letter to the New York Times.
Van Ripper had done likewise
and he now complained that,
with so hungry guests on his
hands, he couldn't buy feed for
the same or sell the little ones
at any price and was offered
only 10 cents a pound for his
boar and the sows. which he
aptly described as producing
equipment"
I SUPPOSE l should have
known better, for il was
that way when l bought A, T.
and +. and few other little
trifles. Now, here / am with
not so pigs, thank goodness, but
so, no less. making perfect hogs
of themselves for, unlike Van
Riper's man. my feed-mongerl
still contrives TO get me some.
However. the problem is the
same. II 1 don't feed them.
they starve and the humane
society will burn me down. The
more / do feed them. the more
/ lose. And, although they
would yield even NOW little
meat. though much less than by
all that is right they presently
should, / can't butcher and ped
die them because that, l am
told, would be a black market
operation.
However. there is no such
abundance of pork and ham in
the stores and restaurants as
would Justify this indifference
TO Van Riper's pigs and mine,
and. / understand, many thou
sands Of others.
The New York restaurants to-
day are serving the most mlser-
able makeshifts of dough and
gravy in the guise of spaghetti
and patty and hash and waiter
in one place let out a howl, the
other night. when / made a
bashful request for ham sand
witch.
WET pork on the .hoof Is all
L over the place and perhaps.
we will have 10 lure II down
into the swamp and shoot II, II
We can get the ammunition.
But everybody is going 10 be
smarter next year. Everybody
is going 10 give up pigs and
raise feed and sell il TO
I can't exactly figure out who
is going 10 buy all that feed
that all the smart people are
going 10 raise next year instead
Of pigs because there will he no
pigs to eat il; and, as for cattle,
didn't YOU read the other day
where Henry Morgenthau is SELL
ing off his great herd Of regis
tered Jerseys and Holsteins
because. as Mrs. Morgenihau
said. dairying didn't pay them.
and going into apples instead?
Those Midwestern downtown
farmers certainly were right
worse luck about those sows
giving jackpots, But so do mice.
Why didn't / think Of mice?
Copyright. is43, by United Features. synd,