The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1957-11-22

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They've made food prices outrage
ously high at the same time they've
piled up big SURPRISES. My family,
nv business, and / myself would
be a lot better off if there weren't
so many farmers living on Govern
ment handouts!"
We were shocked to hear a city
businessman make the above state
ment recently. But on second
thought, it doesn't seem strange
that he did. Farmers and farm or
ganizations-indeed, farm maya
zines themselves-have failed to
keep people in town informed about
the problems farmers are facing
and the job they are doing. And
the Secretary of Agriculture, who
might be expected to serve as an
effective spokesman for farmers,
seems to be determined to use the
vast publicity powers of his office
to discredit them.
In order to provide for a clearer
understanding between townspeo-
pie and farmers, Nov. 1928 has
been proclaimed as Farm City
Week" by President Eisenhower.
Annual observance of this event
was inaugurated by Congress in
1856, following a long agitation by
The Progressive Farmer supported
by other agricultural groups.
To city folks you know who may
be as misinformed about farmers
as the businessman we quoted,
here are eight facts you can pass
on to stimulate the spirit of under
standing to which Farm-City Week
is dedicated:
1. Americas farmers have in
creased their efficiency faster than
any other group-In 1900, one
farmer could feed only himself
and seven other people :. In 1880
a farmer could feed only himself
and 10 others Today a farmer
can feed himself and 81 others. Nc
other industry in America can
show such fantastic increase in
efficiency as this. And it is only
because of agriculture's phenome-
nal increase in efficiency that mil.
lions of workers could be released
from the fields to go into factories
and produce the automobiles, bath
tubs, television sets, and all tht
countless other goods that have
made Americas living standard
the envy of the world.
2. Farmers have been penalizet
for their increased efficiency-Un
like manufacturers and laborint
groups, which have profited from
their increased efficiency, farmer,
have been penalized for theirs. II
l947, when Americas gross ma
tional product total value o
everything produced) was 1882 bill
lion, farmers received gross in
come of $34 billion-15% of tn,
total. Last year, Americas gros
national product was $415 billion
but farmers got only $34 billion
Of it--S96 of the total (. In 1947
farmers net income of SIT billiol
was go of the nations total ma
tional income. Last year, farmers
$13 billion net income was onl,
4e6 of the national income :.
Persons in nonfarm work and serv
ices last year averaged earning
$2,018 each, as compared with onl,
5000 for farmers.
8. Farmers are customers TO
both consumption goods and pro
duction goods-The farmer i
Americas No. l customer TO
goods made by American industr,
and labor. That's because he's
"double-barreled customer" Where
as the average city man buys onl.
consumer goods-food, clothing, re
frigerators, and other such item
the farmer buys both consume
goods and production goods. Las
year, the nations $4,000 farm
families spent more money TO
family living alone that the tota