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Show DEFENDS FARMER ID1 TAKES A RAP AT ! EASY CHAIR J Editor Standard: A few days ago you published a letter from one of Ogdcn's j substantial citizens in which he )ay the blame of the hlch cost of llvlnc: at the door of the farmer, and I wondered, as I fancied I could see him silting in his leather padded chair, with his feet upon a solid oak desk, and draw lng his salarv of $200 per from a thir-1 ty million dollar corporation, whether after all the facts were just a3 he had I presented them to your manv readers. He cites the fact that milk has been raised in price and proceeds at once to ' blame the farmer boeause the re tailer doubles up the increase The farmer today is getting about 20 cents a gal-! Ion for his milk, which is 5 cents r , quart. Does the gentleman mean to ; say that because the people of Ogderi have to pay 13 cents a quart for that milk that it is the. fault of the man who 1 sold it for 5 cents? He says, "Raise more hay." If you will only take a lit-1 tie ride around the farming districts! of this county you will see hundreds of j acres of hay land burned to a crisp. Is the farmer to blame because we have had the driest season known for thirty years? I wonder how many people really stop to think ho many hours work it takes for n farmer to produce a quart. 1 of milk, a ton of hay, a ton of sugar j beets or any other farm product. Do you know that not one family of farm- crs in the country can pay 10 per cent Interest on the Investment, which they are compelled to make in the way of' a farm, machinery, tools, horses, cattle, cat-tle, etc., and then pay themselves $1 a day and board for the time they work? When a carpenter, bricklayer, or any other laborer goes to work at 8 o'clock in the morninp, all that he is compelled to invest to earn $7 or $S for an eight-hour day is from 10 to $20 for tools, not taking into consid eration his training, because he must have no more of that than does the farmer. When he has worked his eight hours he is through and his money is earned. But that is not the case with the farmer. He goes to work at 6 ; o'clock, many of the before that, and works as long as he can see and when he is through he has still a good many things to do. I imagine I hear one fellow saying, j "Yes, but look at the independent iife." I That is true: the fnrmer's life is inrlr- ' pendent. The farmer has a hard life In a way. He not only works long hOUrSi but his pleasure are few. ' He has no libraries, parks, shows, or other amusements by which he can lighten his burdens in the evening and if he had, he would have no time in which' to enjoy them. He misses the city 1 conveniences such as hot and cold water, wat-er, sanitation, and in many cases even electricity is denied him. If his children chil-dren are so fortunate as to complete the eighth grade and wish to go to a 1 high school, it is not always possible to 1 grant their wish because of the great expense which it involves. He wears poorer clothes, and In almost everj other thing is at a disadvantage with I the man from the eit . And yet, he is bapp. Why? Because he is earn-i ing his bread by the sweat of his brow. He is producing, which is what God, said he must do in order to be happy. He is not wringing rhe blood from the hearts of the widow ajul the orphan in i order to live. He is billing to "live! and let live " And although his appear ance does not alway s justify the state-! ment, he is a gentleman born. I have no quarrel with my friend about the hisli cost of living. It is high and should be lowered. Suppose instead in-stead of jumping onto the farmer about the price of his products, you just begin be-gin by lopping off $23 a month from ! the salaries of all those who are making mak-ing more than a reasonable wage My, what a howl it would create. The leather padded chairs and solid oak desks would fairly howl with pain. The farmer would no longer have to eat his little potatoes, his wormy apples, and all the rest of the stuff which he can't sell, and the demand would not be so great for a 40-cent steak three times a day and some few persons at least would know what the cost of high living means. By all means, Mr. Editor, Ed-itor, let us lower the high cost of living, liv-ing, but let us first lower the cost of high living, and the first step will have been accomplished. Yours for a fair and square deal to all. (Signed) H. D. BROWN. on |