Show FARMERS SUCCUMB J U RS-I RS l Assert l Cit City Workers Get More l Pa Pay and Labor Less Middlemen Middle Middle- men Inen Seize Rural Profits to p Hr Br r Associated t d W v. L ASHINGTON Jan 30 Indica 30 Indica lion tion of a n widespread i spirit o of unrest and dissatisfaction among tho the farmers of or the time country so threatening threaten threaten- in ing as to be bo likely to disturb tho the existing existing ex ex- economic structure is consul consul- 1 by government officials lo to be he revealed revealed re rc- re- re in more than forty fort thousand replies replie to a questionnaire recently sent out i b. b by the postoffice department The is fiS thus thua far were e D summarized in i n ri il pre prepared prepared pre pre- pared by George L. L V Wood of the postoffice departments department's departments department's depart depart- ments ment's division sion of rural mails am and read to tho 1110 Senate postoffice committee com corn today by James r I. I fourth assistant postmaster general The Tile views of the farmers were obtained obtained ob ob- ob- ob tamed by the broadcasting of I copies of a n questionnaire throughout I Ithe the agricultural states asking for forI I suggestions whereby the postoffice department might aid in cutting down own the cost of I living Throe Three Answers to the questionnaires have havo been beon een coming comins- In since sinco the middle of ot December December De Do- cember at the tho rate of or a n. thousand a a. da day Though a small percentage of oC them are aro from well satisfied farmers having no Su suggestions to make the tho great proportions proper proper- as summarized b by officials ls show the major complaints of or the farm firm ers ens In numerical order to be Inability to obtain labor to work the farms hired help hell and the tho farmers' farmers children children chil chil- dren ren having ha been lured to tho city b by higher wages and easier casler living High profits tal taken en b by middlemen for tor forthe tho the mere handling of or food products Lack of or proper agencies of ot contract between the farmer and tho ultimate ultima to consumer tan Man Many of or the tho replies s said one official who had looked d over O them thorn probably as much as CO CiO per ver cent Indicate that the time writers contemplate either leaving lea farms or curtailing acreage under cultivation cultivation cul cul- because of or one ono or more of or tim tho three major grievances and because of or ortho tho the growing feeling against InS ing ng city dwellers Grave Gra Menace Commenting tonight ht on the replies Assistant ro Postmaster General lee ce said Such a a. condition at nt a time when tho the predominant cry is ls for production and anel still more production cannot but constitute constitute constitute con con- a a. grave ra menace Before the Senate committee he ha characterized characterized char char- tho the situation as disquieting Continued on page 2 2 TROUBlED I IBY fARMERS BY SPIRIT OF UNREST Continued from Page PaJe 1 1 and of ot disastrous consequences Conse conse- on eI e- e I This opinion was expressed b by Mr after a member of or orthe I the flit Senate committee had remarked that the replies s seemed to have o came from n bunch of oC E Excerpts from letters taken at ran ran- rom from the tho more moro than already reach 1 on file Ile at nt tho postoffice department showed the tho trend of thought among among- at nt least a considerable part of ot the farmers farmers farm farm- ers of New P e England the middle western western west west- ern states Georgia and the e eastern stern agricultural agricultural agricultural ag ag- ag- ag section City Most Mont hunger Says Say One I Tho The time Is near wrote a a. farmer at I East Chatham N. N Y T. when wo we farmers will have havo to curtail production find and raise oni only what wo we need for our own use and let lot the other follows 8 look out I for themselves CI Labor unions are arc more to blame blamo for the high prices than any anyone anyone anyone one else Persons arc trying to get s-et pa pay for what the they p dont don't earn Declaring that the thc whole onus of oC the high cost of or living rests with the middleman middleman middleman mid mid- a Missouri producer advocated nd tho the establishment of ot municipal market markets markets mar mar- ket to be served b by parcel post di dl- dl I M 1 sell butter to tho the dealer for forIS 45 IS and the cents a pound his said letter same butter Is bought by tho the consumer for 80 cents a pound In this distrIbution distribution distribution tion wo O lose loso nearly half hal and wo lose mone money on tho the butter at the first price Such conditions con are arc causing men to leave the farm by br the thousands We Ve have 6 reach reached d a crisis You may aslI ask what we would do tIo with middlemen I I suggest that It be bo arranged for Cor them to to go on the farm and help produce duco things I understand that the they might not relish working working- r fourteen hours a ada aday aday da day but if IC we the get pret b by tho the near near- future there thero will have o to bo be some useful work done dona by everyone e I. I 1 a It Un Day j Declaring Declaring- that he ho works a acre 40 I farm without help and that hundreds of other farmers are doing doing- the same a n Revere Mo Mn man asserts that the place I to start to cut wages Is In the city which has taken our farm help Ills His return for last year ear aera averaged ed 51 1 I a a. day for himself a a. Mo 0 man said I 1 hope soon to see the farmer and consumer going hand In hand If It not then I am quitting Work Fork fourteen hours a day for 1 and let the middleman get the bl biggest gest part of or the reward Not me me meI I r have Just finished fI flouring figuring up what hat tho the eggs poultry and cream that I sol sold last year ear brought me another farmer said nn and I i w ll not be in the business next year car The tendency dway from the farm to the was blamed for Cor the high cost of living living- b by another middle west western rn farmer Hour l 1 Da Day I r attributed It a a. great deal he wrote to the tho good times in the city Tho The young men can go to the tho city It and andRet andset set Ret big big- pa pay for eight hours' hours work while farmers have ha to labor fourteen to fifteen fifteen lr- lr teen hours a day da at hard manual labor All AU the tho young men men in this vicinity of nn any account go to the city and ard there are only a a. fo few old men left lect to farm Declaring Declaring- that though the farmer has hasto hasto hasto to t take what the commission man man and retailer r will pay him for his product he Is compelled to pay whatever ma- ma dealer asks for his clothes farm machinery machinery ma ma- chinery and other necessities another farmer said Farmers work from ten to sixteen hours a da day City labor works six to eight hours a n da day The Tho city man makes two or three times as much as aa the farmer The farmer labors and produces pro pro- duces but gets a smaller return than I any other class |