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Show MAKE PRODUCERS OF THE "USELESS MEMBERS" SAYS SECRETARY MEREDITH BUSINESS MEN CALLED UPON TO GET RID OF EMPLOYES EM-PLOYES WHO ADD TO COST OF DISTRIBUTING WHAT THE FARMER PRODUCES WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 In answering answer-ing questions of newspaper men today regarding means for reducing the high cost of living. Edwin T. Meredith, the newly installed secretary of agriculture, agricul-ture, said that useless employes, no matter in what lino ihey may bo engaged, en-gaged, must be .released from non-pro-(ductive work and given an opportunity I to become producers upon the farm or I in the factory. If this Is done and if I jobbers and retailers recognize the harm that must ultimately come from profiteering on the fanner and content themselves with a reasonable profit, he said, the question of the high cost of living will largely solve Itself to the permanent good of all. Rut unless jtho whole country all business nnd i all labor docs recognize this as a common problem and do the things necessary to solve it. he continued, "less and less will there be of farm , produce to divide among the whole people and higher and higher will, go the price of that which is produced." "I am surprised," said Mr. Meredith ("that I should have received the number num-ber of messages I have, particularly from daily papers, asking what plans 1, as secretary of agriculture, have to reduce the high cost of living, Indicating Indicat-ing that tho general feeling i3 that this is essentially an agricultural problem. prob-lem. It Is, of course, related to agriculture, agri-culture, but no more than to many other lines of activity, and I am tempted tempt-ed to believe that the solution of the problem lies more in the hands of those interested in distribution and non-productive enterprises than in the hands of the fanners of the country. Give Farmer Satisfactory Conditions I "The farmers must certainly pro-Ulucc. pro-Ulucc. They have produced and will produce that is their business. They are on a piece measure basis, so given satisfactory conditions they will do their part, as the farmers of America have in every situation of crisis that has faced the country. But this question ques-tion of 'satisfactory conditions' is a big I one. It Is not a satisfactory condition 1 for the farmer to receive reduced 1 prices for his pork, wheat, hideo. while I the price of his machinery, lumber and shoes arc raised. It does no't conduce to a nleasant frame of mind on the I part of the farmer or spur him to greater production to be obliged to soli his products for half or loss than he later sees them sold for at retail. The dairy farmers of the country wonder , If they ore treated fairly v;hen they receive thiriy-ftve or forty cents for ! butter and see it retail at eighty-five cents. The poultry men wonder why, when they receive from forty cents to fifty cents for eggs, they retail as high as a dollar per dozen. The hog growers wonder if they are not in a 'hazardous business when they buy fencing and all other supplies at'great-ly at'great-ly increased prices and then see their produce fall fifty per cent and sold by them at an actual loss, in answer to a demand on the part of the rest of the population for a reduced cost of living. "The farmers of America," the new i secretary went on, "are willing to as-jsume as-jsume their part of tho responsibilities las American citizens in meeting anv (problem threatening tho welfare and si ability of our country, but this high :cost of living problem is a mutual one, and they ask that it be approachod by I all the people as a common problem. They ask that those ongnged in distribution distri-bution eliminate the lost motion and not put no great a burdep upon production produc-tion as there is upon it today. In othei . words, they ask that there be an ade-jquate ade-jquate number of producers of wealth, jand this includes property and food oi I all kinds, and only such number of dis ,'iributors as Is necessary to perform the services required. They ask that the banks, railroads, wholesale houses retail establishments, factories, all or which are vitally necessary to the farmer far-mer and recognized by him as such be speeded up along with him, that the work now done by three men may be done, if possible, by two, and the burden bur-den of transportation anu distribution be thereby lightened. If the factory executive will speed up his plant that there may be two days' labor in the supplies, machinery, or what not, that the farmer buys, rather than three jdays labor, tho article will cost the j farmer that much less, his profits be increased, and his production stimulated, stimulat-ed, more men stay on the farm, more men go to the farm. Put Useless Employes at Productive Work "Business men must look to the operation op-eration of their establishments, no matter in what line they may be engaged, en-gaged, and see that no useless employe em-ploye Is retained to add to the cost of distributing what the farmer now produces. pro-duces. Useless employes must be released re-leased from non-productive work that they may go into productive work and add to the sum total that may be distributed dis-tributed among all. "Let us enjoy in America as highly devoloped a system of distribution and in this I include all the professions, doctors, lawyers, teachers, as well as retailers, transportation, etc., as we now have, but let us cut out the useless use-less member, the surplus one here and there, and glvo him an opportunity to become a producer upon the farm, or in the factory. Let us have six-tenths of our people in production and four-tenths four-tenths In distribution, that there may be six-tenths of what a man can produce pro-duce each day for each of us, rather than have four-tenths of what a man can produce each day for us. To do this conditions in production must be attractive, farming must be remunerative remuner-ative and offer to a young man who engages in it an opportunity equal to that orfered him should he go into a bank, railroad, wholesale or retail establishment. "The farmer asks thai the laborers' in tho mines, the factory, and the mills 1 who aro also real producers along with the farmers, make an effort compar-! able to his to see there Is pust as little labor expense as possible In each article ar-ticle turned out by their hands thereby helping ihc farmers of America, who. in turn, will help the laborer. This is not Inconsistent with the views and desires de-sires of the loyal, Intelligent laboring men. who recognize the mutual advantage ad-vantage to all in an honest day's work for an honest day's pay. Given this, nnd the manufactures, Jobbers and re-! tailors taking a reasonable profit and recognizing the harm that must ultimately ulti-mately come from profiteering upon the farmer, the question of tho high cost of living will largely solve itself to the permanent good of all concerned. con-cerned. ' "On the other hand if the whole country, all business and all labor tlocs not recognize this as a common problem," prob-lem," tho secretary continued, '"and do those things which give the fanner a Tair compensation for his efforts, do those things which make farming re munerative, pleasant and as attracthe as other lines of endeavor, tho eondt-Itions eondt-Itions will not Improve. On the con-jtrary, con-jtrary, more and more will the young man leave the farms, more and more will (he older men become discouraged land Icjs and loss will there be of farm j produce to divide among the whole ' people for their sustenance, and high-'or high-'or and higher will go the price of that 'which is produced, j All Must Strive for Cheaper Distribution J "Attention must be given by public-j spirited citizens to the methods which j tend to quicken and cheapen distribution distribu-tion of farm products, such as better I terminal facilities, easier transfers, In-, In-, land water transportation, back hauling haul-ing and round-about routes eliminated. ,Ve must all interest ourselves in help-) ling solve the problems of the farmer and furnish him facilities that will 1 help him in his business. While such 'facilities must be furnished, we find on the contrary there is now being made an assault on tho Farm Loan 'Bank, which gives the farmer money 'on favorable terms, without commls-jsions, commls-jsions, without renewal charges finances fin-ances him to carry on the fundamental j activity of our country, gives him long ttime that he may plan ahead where .necessary. The assault is made by selfish interests, and their success I would, in my judgment, be a blow to 1 I agriculture in America and result in' ultimate harm lo all interests. But! , how many business men In America jhave recotV-'zed this as tuclr problem.! or Interested themselves in the farm-j ler's behalf? Very few, and yei they' I could well afford, in fact must, inter-; 'est themselves in this and other prob-1 jlems affecting the farmer, or they will 1 feel the reaction. ' 1 "The farmers of America are will-! ing and anxious lo meet the problem ' of reducing the cost of living as a mil-' jtual one. They seek the co-operation,! support and sympathy of the business (world, and receiving it they will do j j their part and more. All of us work-1 ing lo this end are strengthening and j making permanent agriculture, tho .foundation of our whole structure, and' (therefore doing well for our country as! !a whole. Every person, no matter in J 'what walk of life he may be engaged. should have a sympathetic, helpful In-; .terest in agriculture, be helpful to the; i farmer, and see he gets a fair, square; I deal in all matters. Surely, such an I attitude Is an expression of the high-jest high-jest type of patriotism In peace." i no ' |