96 FARMERS' UNION AND FEDERATION 



least one-half, and mostly dairy cows being sold out ; very little in beef 

 breeds are being raised. Less poultry is going to market, the big pro- 

 ducers have quit the business, as there is no money in it at the present 

 prices of grain and chicken feed. But few farmers raise a surplus, for 

 the chickens must depend upon foraging and taking care of themselves 

 in flocks of 15 or 20 to a farm instead of 75 to 100 as was the case several 

 years ago." x 



And so goes the hard luck stories in poultry, dairy and gen- 

 eral farming through many more pages. I shall give some 

 of Mr. Ingram's comments on the situation in the following 

 number : 



Manufacturer Investigates Farm Conditions. 



Extracts from Mr. Ingram's comments and theory, from 

 his pamphlet : 



" (Mr. Ingram is a manufacturer in Detroit, Michigan, but he was born and raised 

 on a farm and has owned and operated several. His investigations and their publi- 

 cation he undertook merely to draw attention to a situation that should be heeded and 

 to flash forth a warning which he believes imperative because our food supply is being 

 seriously threatened.) Joseph J. Crowley, President Detroit Board of Commerce." 



"The average wages of farm hands the country over last year were 

 $28.87 a month with board, and $40.43 a month without board. The 

 average wage of section hands on the railroads was $58.25 a month. 

 This means that farm workers who must have special training, receive 

 $10 a month less than the least skilled type of workers, most of whom 

 also live in the country, under the same cost of living, where their pres- 

 ence is a constant reminder to the farm worker of his inferior wage con- 

 dition, working -as he does 12 and sometimes 14 hours a day, to the 

 railroad man's 8 hours. 



"This section of Wayne County, noted for its poultry farms, has but 

 few left, and none that I could find that were running anywhere near 

 at full capacity. For instance, Monroe Stokes did carry an average of 

 one thousand hens, now averages 200; Herman Soop carried 500 to 

 600, now 100 to 300 ; Geo. T. Clark carried 400 to 500, coops now all 

 empty; James Ollett carried full coops, now all empty; Mr. Hamilton 

 carried full coops, now all empty. 



"Even on general farms, actively operated, where chickens can almost 

 pick up their living by ranging the orchards and fields and can be raised 

 at the minimum cost, flocks are now reduced from 75 to 100 head to 

 15 or 20 head, 



