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Show WORTH $20,000,000,000. The value of all farm products of the United States for the year 1917 reached the unprecedented amount of $19,443,-849,3S1, $19,443,-849,3S1, an enormous increase over the two preceding years. Of course high prices have something to do with the showing made, but it is also true that all records were broken in a number of cases, and'' that the "war gardens" helped in a great measure. Illinois led the procession of states, with Texas second and Iowa, third. Nebraska, owing ow-ing to the immense crop of corn, is seventh in line. Utah is in the forty-first forty-first place, while Rhode Island is last. If all goes well, it is probable that this year we shall pass the $20,000,000,000 mark, even if the government is allowed al-lowed to swing the ax on prices, for undoubtedly the acreage will be considerably con-siderably larger. We cannot win the war without quantities of food, and no stone should be left unturned to get the seed in the ground and then supply the necessary labor to cultivate the plants and finally bring in the harvest. Just now the farmers are asking President Wilson to pledge himself to furnish farm laborers, which iB a somewhat doubtful proposition, unless we are to have conscription of labor, which we do not believe the president would recommend. rec-ommend. Neither do we believe congress con-gress would authorize it. , Yet Bome action will have to be taken in the premises so far as farm labor is concerned. The Society of Equity, the National Grange and other agricultural organizations have issued a memorial and Trill seek an audience with the president to discuss plans. The memorial enumerates six chief causes which, it is said, will inevitably bring about a smaller crop this year unless promptly removed by national action. These causes are: Shortage of farm labor, shortage of seed, prices often below be-low the cost of production, lack of reasonable rea-sonable credit, exclusion of the farmer from Ms right and necessary share in the conduct of the war, and deep-6ea,ted doubt whether, he can raise the increased in-creased crops demanded of him and still support his family and pay his debts. Evidently the" $20,000,000,000 crop of last year did not place the farmers farm-ers on "easy - street," although the dwellers in the cities who are employed in a thousand and one different occupations, occu-pations, have been compelled to pay extortionate prices for food, without any increase in salaries or daily wages, and with no claim upon the government to supply any deficiencies which may exist. We do not see where the farmer has been excluded from his "right and necessary share in the conduct of the war," unless it be that he has not been allowed to fix the prices for his products. prod-ucts. The North Dakota farmers believe be-lieve they should be paid $.'i a bushel for their wheat, but the government has taken control of the crop and will not pay more than $2.20. The farmers have not been getting any the worst of it since the war broke out in Europe in 1914, but there is danger of a shortage short-age of labor this year, and everything possible should be clone to supply the deficiency. |