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Show FARM TREND UPWARD. Evidence that farmers have passed the worst of their depression is given in the fact that the purchasing power pow-er of agricultural products, which reached a low point in February, rose during both March and April, according ac-cording to the Federal Bureau of Agricultural Economics. Rural standards of living, which have advanced in recent years along with city standards through the influence in-fluence of the automobiles, radio, rural electrification and other im-'. im-'. provements, are affected less than city standards by business depression depres-sion and similar difficulties, the bureau bur-eau explains. The farmer has "slipped "slip-ped back" less than his urban brother during the period of stress, out of which the nation is beginning to climb. The fact that the farm offers a shelter from business depression iV shown by the recent reversal of the usual decline in farm population, shown by department figures. Even in the case of the farmer who has encountered financial difficulties because of the combination of slow business, low prices, and drought and has had to give up nominal ownership own-ership of his farm, the actual standard stan-dard of living changes little. The city dweller, in contrast, when he loses hif job or becomes short of cash, must cut down sharply on expenditures for objects such as rent, motoring, clothing cloth-ing and! even food. The farmer, while he may drive his automobile less for pleasure, keeps it because it is needed need-ed in his business, his food supply is practically unchanged, and even if he loses his farm ownership he is usually usual-ly able to remain on the farm, the bureau is informed. All of which if interesting and encouraging. Har-risburg, Har-risburg, Pa., Telegraph. |