FARMERS TO THE FRONT 113 



as in another? Is not James J. Hill, the railroad 

 magnate, right when he says : "The time has come 

 when the United States should take steps to 

 strengthen the backbone of the country — the farm- 

 ing class," and James Wilson, our secretary of ag- 

 riculture, when he says : "We can not do too much 

 for our farmers"? Prices of farm products will 

 never be maintained at profitable rates by the gov- 

 ernment, nor by buyers, nor by consumers. Un- 

 certainty of values of farm products will never be at 

 an end until through national cooperation, farmers 

 make their own prices on the farm. 



When we consider the slight reward that the 

 farmer gets for his labor we can understand why ru- 

 ral America is to-day largely the reflection of wasted 

 efforts and hopes not realized. It should be a para- 

 dise of prosperous farms, beautiful homes, and hap- 

 py, contented families. An equitable distribution of 

 rewards will make it all this. Yet it is said that the 

 farmer is responsible for the high prices which have 

 recently prevailed. This is but an effort to shoulder 

 off on him the burden which rightfully rests on the 

 shoulders of the trusts and speculators. An illustra- 

 tion will serve to prove this. A bushel of wheat, for 

 which the farmer may receive 72 cents in the Indian- 

 apolis market, will make forty pounds of flour, six- 

 teen pounds of bran and four pounds of waste. The 

 consumer pays 3 cents a pound for the flour, or 

 $1.20, and the farmer buys the bran back at $22 a 

 ton, or 19 cents. Here is a total of $1.39 produced 

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