320 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S TAPER 
A National Weekly Journal lor Country and Suburban Homes 
Established tsso 
Fsbllsbtd weekly by the Rural Publishing Company, 333 West 80th Street, New Vork 
IlERBERT W. Colusgwood, President and Editor. 
John J. Ditj-on, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wa V. Dillon, Secretary Mrs. E. T. Boyle. Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION t ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign cotint ries In the Universal Postal Union. equal to 8s. tid.. or 
8!.', marks, or IOVa francs. Remit in money order, express 
orders personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates', 13 cents per agate line—7 words. References required for 
advertisers unknown to us , and cash must accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE PEAL” 
Wo beliove that every advertisement in this paper is hacked by a respon* 
(dble person. Wo nse every possible precaution and admit the advertising of 
reliable bouses only. But to make doubly sure, we will make good any loss 
to paid subscribers sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler, irrespon¬ 
sible advertisers or misleading advertisements in our columns, and any 
such swindler will be publicly exposed. We are also often called upon 
to adjust differences or mistakes between our subscribers and honest, 
responsible bouses, whether advertisers or not. We willingly use our good 
offices to this end, but such cases should not be confused with dishonest 
transact ions. We protect subscribers against rogues, but we will not be 
responsible for the debts of honest bankrupts sanctioned by the courts. 
Notice of the eomplaint must he sent to us within one month of the time of 
♦he transaction, and to identify it, you should mention The Rcrai, New- 
Yorksk w lien w riting the advertiser. 
ROTESTS against “daylight saving” an* pouring 
in and farmers’ organizations are “resolving” 
against uniting the clocks back for an hour about 
April 1st. The hoard of supervisors of Erie Co.. 
X. Y., consists of 54 members—27 being from the city 
and town. Yet this board unanimously voted to ask 
Congress to repeal the law. Unfortunately such 
action comes too late, since Congress has already 
started to continue “daylight saving.” Weeks ago 
The R. N.-Y. sounded a warning and urged readers 
to go right after their members of Congress. It will 
now lie very difficult to make any change. Our fig- 
ures show that at least 85 per cent, of the farmers are 
opposed to daylight saving. The new Congress will 
■>e very anxious to please the farmers, and if the 
members had been notified promptly we think they 
would have recognized the strength of rural senti¬ 
ment. Rut we must lose no time “resolving,” but 
yet right after them with personal letters. 
Juteide the technical journals the public press is al¬ 
most. as silent about farmers and agriculture—except 
for an occasional poor joke, the annual crop statistics, 
or tin* market report—as if our farming were done 
upon Mars. The columns are full of the struggles be¬ 
tween labor and capital, of society notes and of busi¬ 
ness schemes, but in general a murder trial with a 
mystery, or the love letters in a triangular divorce suit 
are good for more space than the. greatest live-stock 
exposition in the world. Our magazines and the public 
mind are full of modern scientific achievements and <»l 
art, but how much does the world know Of care about 
the farmer and his phenomenal success in animal and 
plant improvement, or the pictures he paints every year 
upon the landscape? 
HAT is taken from an address by Dr. Eugene 
Davenport of the Illinois Agricultural College. 
He is dead right, and further the average city man 
knows nothing of the life of the farmer and his 
family. Stop 50 men on the streets of a great city 
and ask them about farming, and 45 will tell you 
rliat. farmers are all getting rich and that they are 
‘profiteers’"—responsible for high food prices. That 
is the situation, and it is dangerous for both consum¬ 
ers and producers, for they ought to understand 
each other. They should not be held apart through 
ignorance or prejudice. They have too much in com¬ 
mon. All workers who toil with their hands have 
common interests—no matter whether they work 
on a hill farm or in a city shop. For many years 
this nation lias been controlled by a comparatively 
small class of strong, keen-sighted men through their 
ability to create some form of jealousy or prejudice 
between different classes of workers. It suits their 
present purpose to put into the minds of city people 
jin abnormal and dangerous opinion of farmers. 'I he 
plainest common sense must show us that, we must 
get rid of that before we can hope to work out true 
marketing reforms. We have got to put the daily 
life of the farmer right before these consumers so 
they will understand it. When they do understand 
it they will be our helpful friends. On page .‘501 
is a practical suggestion for educating consumers 
through the city papers. It is right along the lines 
followed by the other interests. 
* 
May I thank you for your correct editorial on tin 1 
great change in store for all of uo because of the adop¬ 
tion of Federal Prohibition? The change is more re¬ 
volutionizing then most of u>- realize; but without doubt, 
when we are adjusted to it. it will be universally agreed 
to be all in the right direction. w. s. B. 
Pennsylvania. 
ONE of us can fairly avoid a discussion of the 
social and business outcome of Prohibition. 
If is a measure which originated in agricultural sec¬ 
tions and was pushed through by country people. 
That fact does not seem generally understood or 
appreciated, but for the first time in our history the 
farmers or the agricultural classes have forced the 
most radical and far-reaching experiment in legis¬ 
lation into the National Constitution. We need not 
7ht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
say that if Prohibition is to prove itself it must be 
pushed on to success by the forces which have made 
it possible. Nor need we say that if our farmers 
will stay by this problem and see that the law is 
enforced honestly and fairly they will be the domi¬ 
nating class in the Nation, and show themselves 
capable of working out any industrial reform. We 
believe that the vast sums of money which have 
been uselessly spent for liquor will be spent for food 
and other necessities. We believe the world will 
have far more of happiness and good cheer, and that 
this will be in large part reflected upon farming. 
At the same time we have no illusions about the 
size of the job required to straighten out industry 
when the liquor business goes into liquidation. 5 here 
will he trouble in some sections, and with some 
classes, but at heart the Americans are a law-abiding 
people-and the great majority of them will stand 
behind this amendment. Within 10 years the ad¬ 
vantage to the farmer from having the money now 
spent, for liquor turned into trade and necessary 
industry will be so evident that our children will 
womler why we waited so long. 
* 
D o New York farmers want the State Police con¬ 
tinued? We have called for a referendum on 
the subject by our readers, and they have responded 
freely. On page 542 will lie found fair samples of the 
opinions thus far expressed. It is characteristic 
of these letters that those who favor the police give 
definite and specific instances showing where the 
troopers have given good service. Many farm women 
are among the strongest defenders of the State 
Police. On the other hand, most of those who oppose 
the police do not advance argument, but. give opinion. 
We have conducted the hearing without prejudice, 
but only with a desire to learn just what the country 
people of New York want. The report shows that 
the law allows 257 men on the force. They are 
paid from $5)50 per year for privates to $1800 for 
captain. Uist year the appropriation was .$05)5,000. 
The fines collected and receipts were $550,177.51 or 
about 75 per cent of the cost of the department. 
The police patroled 700.278 miles of road and made 
5750 arrests. Of these 1805 were for violation of the 
motor vehicle law. These arrests ran all the way 
from murder to arresting an incorrigible child and 
for stealing mail from a rural mail box. Our refer¬ 
endum shows a majority in favor of retaining the 
police. While there is some bitter opposition it 
a 1 ipears that the majority want this force continued. 
* 
W HEREVER we go we find farmers talking 
about the possibilities of tin eight or nine- 
hour day on the farm. At present many or most 
farmers average 12 hours or more, while city work¬ 
men average nine hours or less. Yet the city nine- 
hour man is better paid than the 12-liour fanner. 
One reason for that is that the nine-hour day acts 
to create a certain shortage of labor, and that means 
greater demand and consequently a higher price. 
The farmer has been working on the opposite prin¬ 
ciple. By putting in 12 to 14 hours per day he lias 
increased the production of food until there comes 
a time when an overproduction forces a lower price. 
If all farmers got together.and agreed to work only 
nine or ten hours a day the selling price of farm 
labor as paid for in the price of farm production 
would rise. Farmers could not produce as much 
as they could by working several hours more each 
day. 1 >ut what they did produce would be worth more, 
and life would certainly he more worth living. You 
will find that this idea is gaining ground, and that 
farmers are beginning to believe in it. 
* 
T HE Fnited States Senate finally defeated the 
suffrage amendment by one vote. 'The final fig¬ 
ures were 55 to 25) in favor of suffrage. It was neces¬ 
sary to have a two-thirds vote, and one more would 
have put tin* amendment through. Millions of peo¬ 
ple in this country will be disappointed, but this is a 
land of law and order, and there is nothing for the 
friends of suffrage to do but. to smile and get ready 
for another campaign. A good loser is a sure winner 
next time. Before the last election we told our 
friends in New Jersey that if they re-elected Sen¬ 
ator Baird they would lose the amendment. They 
had a good chance to carry tin* amend!.it through, 
for Senator Baird’s vote was enough to defeat it. 
.Tersymen who believe in suffrage cannot say they 
were not warned in time. The <use of Senator 
"Wadsworth of New York brings up a big question. 
New York State has given tin* suffrage to women and 
the Legislature definitely asked ootli Senators to vote 
for the amendment. In spite of this Mr. Wadsworth 
voted against it. This led u.s to ask who or what a 
United States Senator is supposed to represent— 
February 22, 1019 
the people, the State, or himself I Out" of many let¬ 
ters received from readers we print these two short 
ones: 
In an editorial on page 182 the question is asked 
whether Senator James W. Wadsworth represents the 
people of New York or himself. I would say that from 
appearances In* represents neither, but rather Mrs. 
James W. Wadsworth, leader in the anti-suffrage move¬ 
ment. LYMAN CARRIER. 
Your editorial on page 182 strikes an unresponsive 
chord in the minds of a good many subscribers in West¬ 
ern New York. When Senator Wadsworth was si 
candidate for office liis position on woman suffrage was 
well known, and he was elected by a large majority 
despite his opposition to it. You would ask no one to 
vote against his best judgment, would you? 
.TAMES WILSON. 
No. The question is not asked in criticism of Sen¬ 
ator Wadsworth. We have no personal or political 
feeling against him. We simply want, to find out 
where a Senator's responsibility begins and ends. Is 
he the servant of the State? When “instructed” to 
do a certain thing, is In* under obligation to do it? 
That, is all we want to know. It represents a large 
question in our form of government. Why did we 
change to popular election of Senators? 
* 
F oR some years past certain writers have been 
deploring the fact, that farmers have lost some 
of their old-time spirit and independence. Those 
who know what really happened in the country dur¬ 
ing file recent milk strike will lose no sleep over that. 
There never lias been a finer spirit of co-operative 
defense of a principle than our dairymen showed 
while the tight was on. They were called upon 
without warning to fall into line and make a great 
sacrifice. They did it without eomplaint, and gave 
the interests which bad sneered at them as incapable 
of standing linn, tin* great surprise of their lives. 
The manifestation of this spirit and independence is 
flic most hopeful thing which has happened to agri¬ 
culture for many years, it will he organized and de¬ 
veloped and made to accomplish far greater things. 
* 
L AST.week a representative of 14 labor unions 
of railroad employees proposed to take over and 
run tin* railroads of the country. The offer included 
the proposition that, the Government pay about 
$20 JMm>,<HX>, 000 for the roads and capital to operate. 
If there were any losses it would lie borne by tin* 
Government, but the profits were to be divided 
equally. The incident is significant as indicating the 
trend of labor mind towards our capitalistic system. 
The proposition has been ridiculed pretty generally, 
and yet, if it had been made with some suggestion 
of sacrifice on the part of labor it might at least 
merit comparison with the present or past manage¬ 
ment. The men who control the roads now come a 
long way from owning them. The money of the 
people invested in savings banks and insurance com¬ 
panies and banks is largely invested in railroad and 
other corporate enterprises. Indirectl.v it is quite 
probable that the employees have more money in 
the roads than the men who run them—and boss the 
employees. According to our customs, however, it 
is a bit startling to have a suggestion of the kind 
seriously proposed. At the same time the labor men 
announced that Director General McAdoo’s order 
forbidding the railroad employees to take part in 
polities was unconstitutional, and that it would la* 
ignored. Capital has taught labor how to use the 
government for its own purposes, and capital need 
not lie surprised if it finds that labor lias learned 
the lesson. 
Brevities 
Hear as once more. Do not patronize the people 
who waul to sell Belgian hares and promise to buy 
lmck all your surplus stock. 
One of tin* most, satisfying assets in life is the ability 
and power to tell a carping critic just when and where 
he can get off. 
We think some of those who report failures with 
Spring wheat had seed of Winter wheat palmed oil on 
them. 
We think it is beyond question that the demand for 
sterilized fruit juices’ will it.ensely increase under pro¬ 
hibition. 
A colored man was recently arrested as a vagrant 
on the charge that, he had no “visible means of sup¬ 
port.” liis answer was: ‘T’s got de means of sup¬ 
port, all right, but she done took sick an’ can’t work.” 
We printed a report from Canada stating (hut the 
extreme cold of last Winter had killed the San Jose 
scale. This report lias been confirmed by several fruit 
growers in Central New York. What is your report? 
We want to hear from someone who has raised millet 
for the silo and cut it with a reaper or hinder. When 
cut with tla* mower and raked, stones and sticks an* 
picked up with if and these may ruin the cutter knives. 
The bundle would go through safely. 
In a recent issue we printed two letters—one from 
a man who had a farm to rent or sale on remarkably 
easy terms; the other from one who wanted to start a 
colony where sill must work hard. Thus far there have 
been nearly 50 calls for the farm and one for the co¬ 
operative work. 
