Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1957-11-20

workers could be released from the
fields to go into factories and produce
the automobiles, bathtubs, television
sets. and all the countless other goods
that have made Americas living
standard the envy of the world.
z. Farmers have been penalized
for their increased efficiency-Unlike
manufacturers and laboring groups
which have profited from their in
creased efficiency, farmes have been
penaliZed for theirs. In 1947, when
Americas gross national product Ito
tai value of everything produced) was
1892 billion. farmers received gross
income of $34 billion - $50 of the
total. Last year, Americas gross ma
tonal product was SAILS billion, but
farmers got only $34 billion of it -
so of the total :. In 1947, farmers
net income of SIT billion was go of
the nations total national income.
Last year. farmers $14 billion net in
come was only AZ of the national in
come Persons in nonfarm work
and services last year averaged earn
ing $2,O18 each, as compared with
only 1902 for farmers.
s. Farmers are customers for both
consumption goods and production
goods-The farmer is Americas No.
L customer for goods made by Ameri-
can industry and labor. That's be-
cause he's a "double-barreled GUS
TONER Whereas the average city
man buys only consumer goods-food.
clothing, refrigerators, and other such
items - the farmer buys both con-
sumner goods and production goods.
Last year, the nations 5,311,OOO farm
families spent more money for family
living alone than the total retail sales
of New York and Chicago. Farmers
also spent $24 billion for supplies,
equipment, and other costs of opera
ton E. Average investment per farm
worker is $40, l49, compared with
S7,866 per manufacturing worker.
There is more mechanical horse power
on Americas farms than in all its fac
tories combined. The prices which
farmers pay for production goods
have risen 30I5 in the last 10 years.
But prices farmers receive for what
they produce are no higher than in
1916.
q. Farmers are producing cheap
food for which city folks are paying
high prices-LaSt year the average
American family spent 81 800 for
food. OF that amount, only $500, or
about 400, went to farmers. Nearly
two thirds of the $1,000, or 5000,
went to mIddlemen between the tarE,
er and consumer. Since 1947, the an
nual amount spent on food has in
creased $500 per family, but the farm
ers share i'll 1896 was actually SO
less than it was i'll 1947. The increase
went to professors and middlemen.
Farmers are being attacked unjustly
for high food prices, for which city
food professors and middlemen are
clearly responsible.
S. Farmers have subsidized cities
rather than being subsidized them
selves - So-called subsidies paid
farmes have amounted to far less than
tax writeoffs' granted industry, de
pleted allowances" given oil produ-
GERS, and minimum wage benefits pro-
vided laborers In fact, farmers
have actually subsidized our cities.
Our rural communities have educated
boys and girls at high cost and then
shipped them off to the cities to be-
come taxpayers. Farmers have nur-
tured and sustained our nations pop
ulation growth from II million in
1900, of whom 49, lived on the farm,
to III million today, of whom only
1870 live on the farm. The productive
power of our nations farms has been
magnificent, not only in turning out
cotton and cattle and wheat. The
priceless product of our farms has
been the boys and girls who live and
work i'm our cities TODAY