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and the threshing machine. Superficial observation counts 

 all this as increase in efficiency, but many invisible men are 

 working back of the tractor. Formerly the farmer raised the 

 horses and raised the feed for them. The horses did the work 

 of producing wheat and hauling it to town and raising their 

 own feed. With the new methods, only the farm worker is 

 visible, but work that he formerly did is now done by a large 

 number of other workers who mine the iron, roll the steel, 

 and make and transport the tractor. Still other workers are 

 producing, transporting, and refining oil. Others are produc- 

 ing combines and trucks. Still others print catalogues and sell 

 and finance the machines. Still others must repair these ma- 

 chines. The total time of the farmer and all these invisible 

 workers must be combined to determine the real increase in 

 efficiency in wheat production. The saving of human time is 

 greatly exaggerated when superficial comparisons are made. 



Farmer Must Have Tools of His Trade 



If the farmer is to maintain food production at a high level, 

 he must have the necessary equipment. He must have steel 

 for his combine, copper for his motors, gas for his tractor, 

 rubber for his truck, and service men to repair the large num- 

 bers of intricate machines. WPB has taken copper and steel 

 from agriculture for munitions and at the same time has un- 

 wittingly eliminated distributors of repair parts and repair 

 men themselves. If the farmer is unable to obtain his tools, 

 he must once more do all the tasks which in recent years have 

 been done for him by the unseen workers. The nation is ask- 

 ing the farmer to cope with his continual problems, the weeds 

 and the weather, which have always kept him busy, and in 

 addition to do jobs formerly done for him. Since he cannot do 

 all, and can do nothing about the weather, more weeds and 

 less food will be produced. 



