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Show FARMER'S VIEW OF THE "'HIGH PRICES" The ''trnrch American Magazine contains con-tains a letter from a western farmer who has his own views about the question of "high prices" of meats and food Bluffs. Perhaps it is only fair to hear what he has to say on his side' of the argument. The following is his letter In part: "I can perhaps enlighten your contributor. con-tributor. Miss Hcwcs, somewhat as to why foods nrc dear. Since 1S6C 1 have lived on one farm, saving four years spent In the west. 1 have seen hogs sold alive for 1'i cents a pound. I have sold fat steers for 4 cents a pound. I sold fat sheep for 41 ccnLs a pound. 1 have seen corn sold Tor 10 cents a bushel in Ohio, wheat for fiO cents a bushel. "These were the days of cheap food in America. Were they good days? Were they days of healthful growth and development? de-velopment? I say those wore the evil days. Then were farmers distressed lo pay their laborers, forced to toll without with-out ever a rest, because they could not afford to hire labor al all. Then farming did nol pay. Then the bright boys left the farms to seek employment in towns, to tnko advantage of that artificial condition, con-dition, too cheap food, wages artificially Increased by the protective tariff. The causo of too cheap food stuffs was doubtless doubt-less the building of railways In the west, the plowing of the prairies of Iowa, Nebraska, Neb-raska, Kansas, and other great western states. We produced too much. Our consumers were loo few. Thus 'bleeding Kansas,' thus decaying farms, farmhouses unpalnted. . mortgages. discouragement and misery almost everywhere that farming farm-ing was attempted. "Docs any man say lhat this condition condi-tion was good for -the nation? "Theodore Roosevelt's country life commission com-mission enmo full twenty years too late. It came just as the country was gottlng on Its feet. At last consumption has overtaken production. We exported little wheat this year. On the farms this year corn has been worth CO to 7ii cents ner bushel, wheat ?1 00 to 51.30. fat cattle 5 to 8 cents per pound (the chcapor ones nearly as nourishing as the dearer, but having less of 'porterhouse,' 'sirloin.' or "rib roast,' more of boiling meat), hogs from t to 8 cents, and prices for most other things about along the same scale, saving that potatoes, apples, rice, and beans have not materially changed In price, except that apples fluctuate, according ac-cording to the crop. "The plain truth Is, that, for many years, farmers produced nearly everything every-thing that they sold at a loss. They gave their own labor and superintendence for nothing, and made their farming 'come out even' If they could; very often the balance was on the wrong side. Now eaters are more, prices have advanced, and farmers take courage. The result? We will move some of the 'advantages' Into the country. Already thousands of farmers are building new houses, putting in them balh rooms, sleeping porches, gas or electric lights. They are planting lawns, mending highways, sending their boys to college. Civilization ls coming lo the country. Town people need not starve, nor even suffer. If they will eat tho right things. It will bo a stronger, happier nation with farmers prosperous. And again, how we will welcome a lot of these 'shop-girls' if they will come to tho country to live: We'll tnko them Into our homes, feed thorn well, at our own I tables, and pay them well, too." |