2O THE FOOD CRISIS AND AMERICANISM 



ing and minimizing possible profits to him, frequently 

 calling him " Slacker," "Pro-German," "Alien en- 

 emy," etc. 



Is it strange, under such labor conditions, such 

 radical difference between the remuneration of organ- 

 ized labor of the factories, shipyards, etc., and the un- 

 organized labor on the farms, coupled with authentic 

 reports of the almost fabulous profits made by the 

 packers and others who control the marketing of food 

 stuffs, that farm abandonment is so general? That 

 we needs must have " Meatless and Wheatless Days " ? 

 Now that the Government proposes to furnish every 

 employee in our Civil Service, from the janitor up, 

 with accident insurance, amounting to two-thirds of 

 the annual wage, to be paid during the life of any de- 

 pendent upon him, the farm laborers are practically 

 the only class not thus protected. The farmer has no 

 funds from which to pay this, and to meet the added 

 cost, he cannot (as the manufacturer and other em- 

 ployers do) add to the price of his commodities. An 

 accident to the tramp who happens to be cleaning his 

 stables or shoveling his potatoes may result in bank- 

 ruptcy. A radical reduction of the wage scale must 

 be made or greatly increased prices paid for farm 

 products, thus enabling the farmer to meet this com- 

 petition, or the present exodus from the farms will 

 continue with ultimately disastrous consequences. 



It may be suggested that the farmer has a home and 

 may raise a part of his food. In almost any town or 

 suburb, a house, better than the average farm house, 

 can be rented for $12 to $15 a month, together with 

 garden space larger than that used for vegetables on 



