Year: 1873

appointed ~ the City for measuring which
would leave just ninety cents for the work
Of aman and team for the day. Il the far
mer instead Of going without his dinner
and letting his horses 90 unfed goes to the
hotel and gets his dinner, and his horses
fed he is little worse off after his days
work than he would have been had he not
worked at all. Now it is probably unjust
to blame any one for buying this wood just
as cheap as possible, yet the man who
would hire another to work with his team
for day and go without his dinner for
ninety cents. just because the others neces-
stiles drove him to work, would be consid-
cred very mean man, and as we have seen
men selling wood at these prices, amounts
to just exactly that and nothing less. The
farmers Of Wisconsin very naturally COM
plain, for they feel the wrong very bitterly.
They say that men wanting wood
will employ some wheat buyer, or police
man, to watch the teams, and when it gets
nearly night, and they and their teams, are
chilled and hungry, and they must start
for home, these men come around and buy
their wood, and the seller is obliged to
take just what he can get.


Now this system is unjust in both the
the country and city, and only benefiting
the few


The man working on salary, or by the
day, or who gets his money from business,
has no money to invest in wood, and
while he may buy few cords for less than
its value, he pays nearly a double price for
a great deal more, so only the speculator is
benefited, and all other classes loose: and
more, this kind Of dealing is embittering
the country against the town; men are not
apt to give their patronage where they
think they have none. No city can afford
to be constantly doing that which offends
those from whom they draw their support.
Now the farmers say that they are perfect
ly willing to sell their wood ut from three
and half to four and half dollars per
cord, so that they can realize from twenty
five to fifty cents per cord for their wood
standing, and have moderate considera-
tion for cutting and drawing to maket.
At this no one can complain. Then what
is the solution to the difficulty. We believe
that the remedy lies principally with the
farmers themselves. And no better remedy
itself to US at the present than for
the farmers to establish a wood yard at
some convenient point, divide the yard in
to lots sufficiently large enough for the
piling thereon from ten to one hundred
cords of wood, and then leasing out these
lots to different parties for sufficient
amount to pay for fencing and keeping up
the yard and pay the rents on the whole
yard. And then when q farmer comes to
the market and does not find an immediate
sale for his wood let him take his lot in
this yard and pile it up and let it remain
there until it is wanted, instead of stand
ing on the street and freezing and starving
himself and team on the street, giving his
wood away and then going home and
cursing Red Wing.


If this plan does not work, it can be
made to work, by requiring that all wood
not sold under contract in advance shall be
sold from this yard.


Some man, doubtless, who from old age,
or other cause is not able to do hard labor.
can be found to take charge Of such yard
at reasonable salary, who could attend to
receiving all the wood into the yard, keep
an account Of the amount delivered by each
person, and measure out the wood to pur-
chasers.


We only suggest this plan, and we have
dwelt longer on the subject than we other
wise should have done, had we not believed
that more than one city and more than one
or two neighborhoods Of farmers were in
terested in some solution of the matter.
Of course the paper is open to any other
views Of the subject from any source, or
the discussion Of any other plan. We be-
lieve in free speeches and shall give every
side hearing on this or any other ques-
ton that may be touched upon in this pa.


per.


A SHORT LECTURE,


The summer is passed. The harvests