Ihe RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1327 
“Agriculture” in N. Y. Party Conventions 
The Democratic State convention has just ad¬ 
journed at Saratoga. The Republican convention 
was here last week. In outward appearances they 
were different. In essentials they were the same. 
The Republicans had a headquarters and a boom in 
every room. The hotels were placarded from foun¬ 
dation to roof by groups booming one candidate or 
another. Banners led parades in the streets to show 
preference for aspirants for State jobs. Everyone 
wore a badge. Women joined in these activities. 
The Democratic convention was quieter. The ordinary 
observer saw little but the congestion of a crowded 
Summer resort. There are no placards. Except for 
Governor Smith and Mayor Lunn there have been 
no parades, no banners, no badges. There was little 
to identify the women who came as delegates from 
those who came to attend the races. 
Each convention had a State leader or boss, who 
made up the slate. In each case the delegates had 
the privilege of formally indorsing what the leader 
dictated or proposed. In each case the mechanical 
contrivance ran over those who made protest. Last 
week Senator Thompson played the same role in the 
Republican convention that Mayor Lunn assumed in 
the Democratic convention. 
After a careful study of both conventions we re¬ 
gret to say that we see no immediate hope for the 
farm in either of them. This, of course, means no 
immediate relief from the high cost of living for the 
city consumer either. The agricultural planks in 
both platforms are expressed in general terms. On 
the face of them they read well, but they promise 
nothing definite, and those of us who have had ex¬ 
perience know that they mean nothing. While these 
conventions were being held the city markets were 
being glutted with seasonable foods fresh from the 
farms that hardly paid the producer enough to pay 
for container and charges; but the cost of this food 
to the consumer remained practically as high as 
when supplies were short. Skilled farmers work 
their own farms and sell their products at prices that 
give them 38.5c an hour. The unskilled labor that 
makes their State roads gets S7.5c an hour, and har¬ 
vest hands get from 00 to 70c an hour. Skilled me¬ 
chanics get from 80c to $1.25 per hour. The farm¬ 
er's pound of wool at 37c comes back to him in a 
pound of cloth at $22. The platforms tell us, as 
usual, that farmers are the backbone of the country, 
and farming is the fundamental basis of all indus¬ 
try, but both of them shut their eyes to the above 
conditions. They offer no definite measure of relief. 
As a matter of fact they are both responsible for 
this uneven and unfair exchange, and neither of 
them will change the existing order of things until 
farmers make definite demands and back them up 
with definite participation in State affairs. There 
is no purpose shown by these autocratic bosses to 
serve the people of the State. They aim solely to 
serve the party and themselves. When one side pro- 
I oses a measure of merit the other opposes it, lest 
the opposition might get merited credit, and trusts 
to sophistry and argument and abuse to fool the peo¬ 
ple. They get away with it. not because the peo¬ 
ple fail to understand, but largely because the system 
limits them to one of the two evils, and they gain 
nothing in a reproof to one because they get no bet¬ 
ter in the other. 
The council of the Federation of Agriculture pre¬ 
sented a farm program for the platform committees 
of both conventions, which it summarized as follows. 
Neither party would stand for it whole-heartedly or 
entirely! 
1. An entire revision of the agricultural laws on 
lines indicated by practical working farmers them¬ 
selves. 
2 . Place the agricultural and markets departments 
under the direction of farmers themselves, and encour¬ 
age a referendum by them in the policy and management 
of the departments and of their own organizations. 
3. Repeal the daylight saving law in a measure that 
''ill leave the cities free to regulate their own time, 
without imposing city regulations upon the farmer. 
L Encourage the use of the State canals for the dis¬ 
tribution of farm products. 
• r ». Improve the back country roads. 
fi. Provide adequate educational opportunities for 
country children. 
7. Provide that no person shall trespass on a farm 
t" hunt or fish without the written consent of the owner 
or lessee. 
s -. Safeguard the principle of collective bargaining in 
■ uying farm supplies and in the sale of farm products. 
■' See that the Market Department makes full and 
1 oniplete monthly reports of the amount of the different 
varieties of food in cold storage; and that this depart¬ 
in' ut be administered with a view of eliminating specu¬ 
lation in food, and of reducing the cost of distribution of 
farm products, to the end that farmers may be encour¬ 
aged by fair prices to a larger production of food, and 
that consumers he benefited in a full supply and in a 
share of the saving in the cost of distribution. 
Draft Horse Outlook 
New York farmers are paying the highest prices ever 
known for big draft horses in Chicago. There is no rea¬ 
son why they cannot be grown here, and save the freight, 
besides having them acclimated. Ail the horse needs is 
advertising, like the tractor. In a nc*nt issue of the 
Breeders' Gazette is the report of a grade gelding heing 
sold for $650. Heavy teams are selling at $1,000 or bet¬ 
ter on the Chicago market. Lots of New York farmers 
can raise them to sell at these figures. n. t. ROGERS. 
New York. 
E have made careful investigation in most 
counties of New York and find that very few 
colts are being raised. Here and there a farmer will 
be found with one or two good colts, but it seems to 
be true that horse breeding as a business has prac¬ 
tically disappeared from New York farms! And 
why? We think most farmers misjudged the future 
of the truck and the tractor. It is true that the light 
car has driven the small trotter off the road in many 
"sections, though in the South we find the saddle 
horse still holding his own. While the track and 
tractor are finding their place in industry (and a big 
place, too) it is now evident that they cannot en¬ 
tirely supersede the horse. There will always be a 
place for the big. strong drafter. It is now generally 
conceded that no application of gasoline power can 
entirely remove the horse from industry. His place 
is secure, and today a good working horse is just 
about the most profitable live stock that any farm 
can produce. 
The Names on the Ballot 
I enclose the ballot which I cut from The R, N.-Y., 
and have marked it. according to my best judgment, 
what would be best for the farming community of this 
State. I was not a little surprised to find on that ballot 
the names of old-time politicians who belong to one of 
the old parties, and who are now trying to be nominated 
by one of the old parties for Governor of this Empire 
State. I have understood that your efforts were to nom¬ 
inate a farmer for Governor of this State, and uo one 
else but a farmer, hut when the city politicians are 
mixed in along with the farmers it looks as if the farm¬ 
ers were only getting a second place. Would like to 
hear why it occurred. T. grey. 
Erie Co.. N. Y. 
Perhaps our friend does not quite understand our 
object in organizing this ballot. The best criticism 
of the political bosses is that they try to prevent a 
free choice of candidates. They pick out the men 
they want and try to force their names upon the 
people. Our plan was the exact reverse of that. We 
called for nominations, and every name on that bal¬ 
lot has been suggested by several of our readers. 
Therefore every name was printed, and our readers 
are free to make their choice. We have the utmost 
confidence in their ability to decide for themselves. 
We make no effort to select a candidate for them. 
We “play no favorites,” but try to give everyone a 
fair showing. So long as human nature exists there 
will be honest differences of opinion, and the corre¬ 
spondence brought out by this referendum has made 
that fact very clear. We are convinced that if farm¬ 
ers are to work successfully in a group for political 
or industrial" rights they must work away from nar¬ 
row political prejudice and take a broad-minded 
view of men and public affairs. Many of our readers 
have voted for men who are not practical farmers on 
the theory that a man should have training for pub¬ 
lic service, and that such a man. if he is honest and 
responsive to farmers’ needs, will serve as well. We 
certainly have respect for that opinion. 
The Slump in Potato Prices 
The produce market in New York suddenly 
“slumped” last week. Prices to farmers on potatoes 
and other produce fell to below production cost. The 
fall in potato prices was not expected, as supplies 
have not been excessive. The price went so low 
that farmers on Long Island and in Northern New 
Jersey refused to dig and ship. Cabbage and some 
other vegetables were practically given away for a 
time. While farmers were being held up in this way. 
retail prices for potatoes and cabbage were kept soar¬ 
ing. For example, at one time potatoes sold at less 
than $1.25 per bushel at the farm, while in this city 
the people paid about 5c per lb., or $3 per bushel. 
We know of cases where cabbage brought 40c a bar¬ 
rel and retailed at 15c per head. It was a clear, open 
illustration of our old 35-cent-dollar, brought right 
up to date. All classes of middlemen hold up their 
hands and declare that they are not the profiteers. 
The farmer knows what he gets and what the city 
man pays, and he knows that the city man’s dollar 
has 65c punched out of it before it gets back to the 
farm, and no one "in authority” pays any attention 
to this robbery. The political philosophy of the office¬ 
holder seems to be that consumers are made to be 
exploited, while farmers are made to be robbed. 
Have we any government in this country at all? 
Profiteering in food is worse now than ever before. 
The political parties are merely beating empty 
drams, while the people face an empty stomach. 
Giving More Profitable Than Receiving 
N. R. Peet, formerly manager of the Niagara 
County (N. Y.) Farm Bureau, has resigned to take 
up a larger work. lie made a great success with the 
Farm Bureau, and on retiring makes the following 
excellent statement—which seems to us to cover a 
great truth: 
We, as individuals, are moved^ in the most of our 
actions by one of two reasons. We do things either for 
what we can get out of them, or for what we can give 
to them. Of the two motives, the latter is more to be 
admired, and is usually more productive of usefulness, 
and eventual personal gain. There seems to be a tre¬ 
mendous amount of truth in the quotation from the 
Bible. “Cast thy broad upon the waters; for thou shalt 
find it after many days.” 
It is with considerable interest and also a growing 
alarm that during the years I have tried to analyze the 
mental attitude cf the Farm Bureau members and the 
reason why they join the organization. It has been of 
interest, because it has been changing. The alarm is 
concerned with the large number o f men who still join 
the organization either because they think it is a good 
thing or because they hope to got their $2 back in 
personal gain. 
Farm Bureau work c-annot succeed if it is merely a 
popular thing, or because the men feel that they will 
get at least their money back in service. The reasons 
for this are obvious, and are scarcely worth discussing. 
It will be of more use to try and clearly point out the 
tremendous possibilities of the Farm Bureau work when 
it is established upon a sentiment well recognized by 
its members that here is an opportunity to benefit the 
agriculture of the county. As a matter of fact, the big 
things which the Farm Bureau has done in this county 
have been made more possible because of a close adher¬ 
ence by the executive committee to this fundamental 
principle. 
Non-Partisanism in North Dakota 
Under the heading “Another Victory of the Non- 
Partisan League.” on page 1210, you "indicate a sub¬ 
stantial vindication of the League principles. I want 
to call your attention to a few facts which should have 
been discovered by you before publication of this article. 
I have been a resident of North Dakota, and am still 
interested in the situation up there, so feel that I am 
entitled to submit these facts to you. 
When Frazier was first elected Governor of North 
Dakota his majority was ’way in excess of 20 . 000 . In 
191S he was elected by 16.700 majority, and the recent, 
primary gave him less than 5,000 majority. This does 
not look like vindication. While the League did nomi¬ 
nate Mr. Ladd for United States Senator, it lost two 
of the three representatives in the lower House of 
Congress. In the last State Legislature the League had 
a two-thirds majority, and in the recent primary nomi¬ 
nated one more than half the membership of that body, 
so that it will be necessary for them to elect every 
nominee to secure even a bare majority. They also lost 
heavily in the North Dakota State Senate. This does 
not look like vindication and as though the League 
“represented the sentiments of the people of the State.” 
Also, the League lost its selection of candidates for 
Secretary of State and State Treasurer, so that their 
representation of the “sentiments of the people of the 
State” is more and more of the negative variety. 
Furthermore, the sentiments of the Socialist leaders 
of the League, in three particulars, were incorporated 
by the last Legislature into laws, and these three laws 
were submitted to the voters, and every one defeated 
by majorities of about 8,000. 
I am not arguing these League principles. The peo¬ 
ple of North Dakota have done this, and are doing it. 
Their votes show what they think of them, aud while 
the League victories in the past are admitted, as in the 
10 amendments mentioned, yet the people are steadily 
becoming familiar with the true significance of these 
principles, and are fast breaking away from the clutches 
of the worst political gang that, taking advantage of 
some needed reform in State government, tried to fasten 
Socialism in its most selfish form upon the people of a 
State. O. P. BRAINARD. 
R. N.-Y".—The item was printed as news from 
reports which we considered reliable. If at any time 
•our statements are not entirely correct we desire to 
have them made right. The point we made was that 
four times in succession at popular elections the 
League candidates or principles seem to have won a 
majority. In this part of the country that would 
certainly indicate satisfaction on the part of the 
majority. We know Dr. E. F. Ladd, the nominee for 
<he Senate, personally, and repeat what we have said 
before: that he is one of the most useful men who¬ 
ever represented farmers in any capacity. We con¬ 
sider it rather doubtful if the admitted “needed re¬ 
form in State government” would have been worked 
out in any other way. 
