Show A Farmer an and His Hired Hire Man an 0 Released by Samuel B B. B of Americas Future Inc A Once there was vas a farmer who raised corn and a man who raised hens hen but no corn The hens said No corn no eggs So the man agreed to work vork for the farmer one day a week for a day and the farmer agreed to sell corn to the man for a bushel They paid each other off every time with the long green The farmer paid the man and the man paid the bad back back to the farmer for five bushels of corn which he wheeled home to his hens in a barrow After a while the man said to the farmer Every things going up and I regret intensely to inform you that I cant can't work for less than a day The farmer said I understand But you understand that everything is going up with with me too and I regret intensely to in- in inform form orm you that I cant can't sell seII you my corn for less than a bushel Basis of Understanding The man said I understand So h he got a day and at a bushel paid the farmer the for five bushels of corn I And both of them said Happy days are here again By Byn n by the man said to the farmer Things have gone up still stin more ore and I cant can't work for less than a day The farmer agreed that hat that was was fair but told the man that things had gone up still higher with him too hed he'd have to get a bushel for forthe forthe forthe the corn The Theman man agreed that that was fair also And both bothof of them said Prosperity is here Gosh now nov we are getting ahead The man was getting a day the farmer was getting a bushel and the hens were wel e getting five bushels of corn same as as' as always Eaas l on nn Thursdays s I VV v vAnd And so things went on until the man got 1000 a day and tl the e farmer got a bushel And the man gave the farmer the 1000 for five bushels of corn just the same as before And the hens kept right on laying even on Thursdays And the man told his wife Aint it wonderful 10 a day And the farmer told his wife Aint it wonderful 2 a bushel I I I IT r I T r And the hens kept clucking ducking away on five bushels of corn I And the statisticians down Washington way said Aint it I wonderful National income at record levels And the politicians said Aint Ain t it wonderful and bragged that they had done it and everybody felt so good and prosperous th that i the man and the farmer voted for the politicians And that hat is how it was as eggs The man got three times as much for the eggs but paid three times as much for his shoes and the music went vent round and round Penalty for Cowardice This raises the question as to whether commodities and labor have really risen at all aU In the above case isn't it true that one days work still buys five bushels of wheat and the farmer can stil h re a man for five bus bushels els of wheat The wheat is worth no nom nomore m more morein r jn in labor and the labor is worth no more in wheat So what has happened The value of the dollar has gone down both in terms of wheat and labor Men sweat and farmers grow v I wheat but neither make dollars Who manufactures dollars The government So if dollars or francs or marks are cheap is isit isit it itt t the th e fault of the farmer the laborer or the government Inflation is the ov overproduction of money Prices are the thee result e of inflation Not the cause Prices are the penalty for the cowardice a of politicians Y Yet t in every inflationary period as in in Germany in 1922 the people always think that groceries etc are rising in in value whereas money is simply 1 getting cheap So they blame business or labor or the farmer as the value of their bonds or insurance or savings melts melts' away They never blame the real culprit the government until it has ruined them hem 0 0 More hearts pine away in secret anguish for the want of kindness from those thos who should be their comforters than from any 1 other calamity in life Young |