I860 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Home* 
Established isso 
Published weekly by the Hnral Publishing Company, 838 Vest 80th 8trect,New Tort 
Herbert W. Colungwood, President and Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. P. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Hoyle. Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION* ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
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order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising ratea 88 cents per agate line—7 words. Eeferences required for 
advertisers unknown to ns ; and cash must accompany transient orders. 
"A SQUARE DEAL” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper is backed by a respon¬ 
sible person. Wo use every possible precaution and admit the advertising of 
reliable houses 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 onr columns, and any 
such swindler will bo publicly exposed. Wo are also often called upon 
to adjust differences or mistakes between our subscribers and honest, 
resiionsible houses, whether advertisers or not. We willingly use our good 
offices to this end, but such cases should not bo confused with dishonest 
transactions. We protect subscribers against rogues, but wo will not bo 
responsible for the debts of honest bankrupts sanctioned by tho courts. 
Notice of the complaint must be sent to us within one month or the time of 
tho transaction, and to identify it, you should mention Thk Rural New- 
Yorkf.r when writing the advertiser. 
•i— ' .... J- .3 
The R. N.-Y. is the best and most useful paper pub¬ 
lished in this world or any other world, for having been 
a reader of it for 60 years I think I ought to know. 
New York. E. S. sterling. 
S URELY 60 years’ continuous reading ought to 
make one a good judge of literature. “The most 
useful paper published in this world or any other 
world.” That is a large contract. We will do our 
best, to make it true for this world, at least 
* 
T HE following letter from Judge Edward G. 
Whitaker, of the New York Supreme Court, 
shows how prominent business and professional men 
are coming to understand the food question. It is 
a matter of distribution which separates the hungry 
city child from the wasting food hardly a cannon 
shot away: 
Can the farmer not arrange to get cheap express and 
freight rates on produce shipped from the interior of 
the State to New York City? Tons of vegetables and 
apples are being wasted because it costs so much to get 
them to New York. You can buy apples three for a 
cent in the country, and they are costing five cents each 
in New York City. I notice the increase in freight 
rates, etc., ordered by the Interstate Commerce Com¬ 
mission includes the rate charged for carrying milk. 
This ought not to be. There should be the cheapest 
possible rate on milk to New York. It costs about 40 
cents a bushel to get potatoes from the east end of 
Long Island to the New York City market in small 
quantities, and they are only bringing about .$1 to .$1.25 
a bushel. I think if the farmers could get a cheap rate 
on small quantities of produce, so they could supply 
the consumer in New York directly, it would be a great 
benefit, not. only to the farmer, but to the consumer 
here. ' E. G. Whitaker, 
* 
W E ask you to read carefully “A Primer of 
Economics,” which begins in this issue on 
page 1852. In the great battle for business and po¬ 
litical rights as farmers wo have thus far been 
obliged to give most attention to the work of the 
revivalist. It has been necessary to startle our peo¬ 
ple into the full understanding that there is such a 
thing as a 35-cent dollar. With that thought firmly 
fixed in mind, we have now come to that part of the 
campaign where sure and accurate analysis of the 
situation is needed. There are certain laws of busi¬ 
ness and of human activity which are practically as 
fixed and sure as the laws of nature. The term 
“economics” is applied to the study and classification 
of these laws. Thus far no one has undertaken to 
apply this study directly to the peculiar business of 
farming and the peculiar relations which connect 
farmers with'society. Yet nothing can be more im¬ 
portant than that direct study, for history shows 
that civilization cannot exist unless farmers can per¬ 
form the double puipose of feeding humanity and 
providing fresh supplies of blood and of strong, 
homely character to the cities. No nation can endure 
without intelligent and prosperous farmers. In 
these modern times intelligence and prosperity in 
any class will be measured by the equity which 
comes to them through the distribution of the final 
consumer’s dollar. This “Primer of Economics” is 
presented in a sincere desire to induce our readers 
to analyze the present unsatisfactory system, and 
thus think out a better one. It is purposely made 
plain and simple and free from all thought of pre¬ 
judice or personal argument. We want you to read 
it. think it over and tell us what you conclude from 
your thought. This primer is a condensed simplifi¬ 
cation of the best thought which the world has yet 
given to the subject. To read and study it is a vital 
part of the campaign for farm rights. 
* 
T IIE Western Farm Bureaus and the Southern 
farm organizations openly advocate public loans 
to Germany and other European countries. Our gov¬ 
ernment now holds about half a billion dollars’ worth 
of property taken from aliens during the war. It is 
proposed to take this and, if need be, enough more 
to make one billion dollars for foreign loans*. This 
‘/A* RURAL NEW-YORKER 
December 11, 1920 
money would he held here as a credit or sent abroad 
s<) as to enable Germany and other countries to buy 
raw materials and food in this country. At present 
Germany is unable to buy our cotton, wool, wheat 
and meat for lack of funds. She cannot resume her 
manufacturing industries without our raw material, 
and one great reason for the low price of these pro¬ 
ducts is the failure of an export demand. The West¬ 
ern and Southern farmers therefore claim that by 
loaning our money or credit we shall enable Ger¬ 
many to buy our goods, establish her industries once 
more and thus bo able to pay her debts. The demand 
thus created w’'th our own money will raise the price 
of cotton, wool and other farm produce now selling 
at ruinous prices. It is probable that most of this 
would work out as claimed. Much of the cotton crop 
has passed out of the hands of farmers, who would 
not be benefited by any increase in -the price. Eu¬ 
rope needs our agricultural material, but cannot pay 
cash for it. The plan of supplying credit to enable a 
debtor to work out of his trouble is a chance quite 
often taken in business. There is, however, another 
side to he considered. If this credit is extended to 
Germany, that nation will develop its manufactur¬ 
ing. It must then find a market for any surplus of 
manufactured goods, and that market would natur¬ 
ally bo in this country. Germany would naturally 
attempt to flood this country with certain kinds of 
manufactured goods. In order to do that she would 
be obliged to undersell American manufacturers. 
We must look at all sides of the proposed plan and 
clearly understand what it means. A large majority 
of our city people have come to the point of thinking 
that it makes no difference where their food is pro¬ 
duced so long as it is cheap. It is not surprising if 
our farmers (considering the way they have been 
robbed and exploited in the purchase of manufac¬ 
tured goods) come to take much the same view re¬ 
garding the things which the city produces. 
* 
W E understand that Congress will be asked to 
pass new legislation much more favorable to 
“oleo” manufacturers. They want to cut the word 
“color” out of the law, and avoid paying anything 
but a low nominal tax. For years now the oleo men 
have been preparing the public mind by costly ad¬ 
vertising, while the butter men have done little or 
nothing to show the superiority of their product 
For some reason which we cannot possibly under¬ 
stand, a great majority of the Southern people favor 
oleo, though there is no place on earth where dairy¬ 
ing would be more helpful than in tho Southern 
States. The South, with tho Northern manufactur¬ 
ing districts, will provide a great proportion if not 
a majority of Congress. When the new Congress 
districts are made up on the basis of the new census, 
the manufacturing districts and tho cities will have 
a larger representation than ever before. The chief 
argument which the oleo men will advance is the 
assertion that many farmers who sell milk are buy¬ 
ing and using oleo for their own table. We give 
notice now that in the big fight against butter coun¬ 
terfeits that is ahead of us the charge that farmers 
help support these counterfeits will he the hardest to 
overcome. 
„ * 
T IIE next Congress must face the immigration 1 
question squarely and settle it. Already. a 1 
great army of aliens has begun to enter this country. 
They are not, as a rule, of the high quality of former 
Immigrants. There seems good reason for believing 
that interested parties on the other side are trying 
to dump several million undesirables into America 
in order to get rid of them. Most of those who come 
apparently want to stay in the cities. They have lit¬ 
tle idea of doing farm work, and will prove of small 
value in relieving the farm labor situation. Their 
coming may help to send some of the former farm 
laborers out of the city to farm work, but the great 
bulk of those now coming are not needed here, and 
will not help us. Work is slacking up in all lines and 
there are already many unemployed men. If the 
Immigrants now coming were of a class desirable as 
farm laborers they could prove a great help, hut the 
great hulk of them are not of that class. They are 
more likely to remain in town and help swell the 
ranks of idleness and discontent. Congress can pro¬ 
hibit all immigration for a term of years until the 
country settles down to normal production, or it can 
provide a test that will comb out. the undesirables 
It must do one or tho other promptly. 
special information to qualify themselves for the 
privileges and responsibilities acquired with the 
vote. To lueet the need the League has carefully 
prepared a series of pamphlets or lessons on tho 
structure of our government, and woman’s special 
interest in it. These include such subjects as the 
public school system, woman’s property rights, child 
wage-earners, public charities and a long list of 
other subjects. The subjects arc comprehensive, and 
many of tho pamphlets are exceedingly interesting 
as well as instructive. We should think the lessons 
would be especially useful in local clubs and so¬ 
cieties. The chairman of the educational committee 
is Mrs. Caspar Whitney, and the address is 303 Fifth 
Avenue, New York City. 
* 
D R. JOHN II. FINLEY, State Superintendent of 
Education for New York, has resigned to accept 
an editorial position. Hr. Finley is an able man. Ho 
has attempted -to work out a targe and comprehen¬ 
sive system of education. Whoever succeeds him 
must also he a man of liberal mind and a clear 
conception pf New York school needs. Just now wo 
think the rural school problem is most important. 
No man should bo appointed State Superintendent 
Who is out of sympathy with the views of country 
people, or who will attempt any arbitrary methods 
of forcing educational experiments upon country dis¬ 
tricts. Wo want co-operation from headquarters— 
not domination. 
* 
T HERE will be many changes in the next Con¬ 
gress, particularly iu the next Senate. Among 
other now Senators, there will be one who is, in our 
opinion, one of the most useful men to agriculture 
that this country has produced. We refer to Dr. E. 
F. Ladd of North Dakota. Dr. Ladd is a chemist 
who has applied his science practically to the busi¬ 
ness interests of farming. Many scientists have 
given time and thought to the productive side of 
agriculture. Very largely through their efforts our 
crops have been increased and production has been 
stimulated. With our present system of distribution 
any increase of production benefits the farmer very 
much less than (ho handlers and middlemen. That 
is because a large crop enables the middlemen to 
buy cheap and hold for a higher price. The farmers 
always obtain most money from a short crop. While 
the scientists have helped greatly in production they 
have not greatly helped in distribution, grading and 
selling, which today arc even more important than 
production. Dr. Ladd has incurred the bitter hos¬ 
tility of grain speculators and robbers by applying 
tho principles of science practically to grain grading 
and transportation. Tie has made the real trouble 
clear. We tlrnk he will go to the Senate prepared 
to analyze and expose some of the things which, un¬ 
der cover of law, have been operated to cripple agio- 
culture and rob farmers. We think he will discard 
partisan politics and apply himself to economic prob¬ 
lems. Dr. Ladd makes this modest statement about 
his Work: 
I am not so conceited nor so ambitious as to believe 
1 can remedy these defects, if such exist, but I would 
lie recreant of duty would I not throw my influence in . 
the direction of tiiding those feeling likewise. 
Such a man in the United States Senate can do 
untold good—not by noise and bluster, but by forcing 
the American people to understand something of the 
farmer’s problem. 
* 
W E understand that tho term of office of Geo. 
I). Pratt of the New York Conservation Com¬ 
mission expires next year. He is evidently a candi¬ 
date for reappointment. It cannot be said that Mr. 
Pratt is popular with fanners and country people; 
wo have plenty of evidence of that from our corre¬ 
spondence. If we understand Mr. Pratt’s theory of 
game preservation, he has the interests of hunters 
and “sports” more at heart than those of funnel’s and 
landowners. It seems to ns that New York’s pres¬ 
ent policy of game preservation is a failure. It 
does not preserve the game and causes great ill-feel 
iug among farm owners. Tho foundation principle of 
our game laws should be based on the theory that 
the game on a farm belongs absolutely to the farm 
owner and that ho has a right, to it, the same as to 
his cuttle, sheep or hogs. That is the way to “pre¬ 
serve” the game; by interesting the fanner in pro 
serving it. 
Brevities 
* 
HE New York League of Women Voters lias 
started a work of great merit in its educational 
bureau. The work is non-partisan. It had its incep¬ 
tion in the fact that heretofore women as a whole 
have given little attention to the machinery of civic 
affairs, and with the new duties of voting need 
The answer to “How to dean watercress out of a 
brook” seems easy. Get a flock of geese. 
Do not forget to tell us bow the eggs come out of 
water glass? Do the stone crocks lay stale eggs? Tliero 
ba.s been sumo complaint this year. 
Have you noticed (but the man wbo goes through 
many bard knocks is rarely a "knocker”? That title 
goes to the man who permits the knocks to knock him 
out 
