HIGH COST OF LIVING AND FARMER 51 



Some specific figures will serve to show how 

 real were the injustices that reacted on farmers 

 during this period. Within a few weeks, the 

 drop in the live stock markets in the central 

 west cost cattle and hog raisers between 

 $80,000,000 and $100,000,000 in decreased values. 

 The Kansas cattlemen saw their animals drop 

 in value $17 a head in two davs. Hogs dropped 

 $3 per head in value in a single day and three 

 days later $10 to $12. When we reflect that 

 it has taken six months to two years to fit these 

 hogs and cattle for market, it is clear that such 

 declines mean bankruptcy to the farmer who 

 does not own his land clear and has a limited 

 financial reserve. 



The inequalities in prices of things was an 

 injustice which was anything but encouraging to 

 farmers. He knows that even if the price of 

 his raw product is cut in two the consumer 

 hardly notices the difference because of the long 

 and increasing line of fixed profits and cost 

 between producer and consumer. It takes four 

 and a half bushels of wheat to make a barrel 

 of flour. When the wheat raiser was getting 

 $8.37 for the wheat, the miller got $12.50 for the 

 flour, the baker $58.70 for the bread, and the 

 hotel keeper selling the bread in slices in Wash- 



