RURAL NEW-YORKER , 93 
Opportunity for the State Administration 
THE POWER OF THE FARM.—Governor Miller 
vill find some suggestion of farm sentiment in the 
agricultural record of the State in recent years. In 
91S it defeated Governor Whitman’s third-term as- 
oirations and his White House ambitions. It elected 
\lfred E. Smith Governor of the State. Again, last 
ear. the agricultural record defeated Mr. Smith and 
fleeted Governor Miller himself. In his L91(i cam- 
align Mr. Whitman made pledges to agriculture that 
ip promptly repudiated after election: and in order 
o rebuke his brazen contempt of agricultural inter¬ 
ests many farmers consented lo the election of a 
ramman.v Governor, either by staying home on elec- 
don day or by voting for him. Other causes con¬ 
tributed to Smith’s vote that year, but without the 
deflection of the farm vote from Governor Whitman 
be could not have been elected. In his first canvass 
Mr. Smith capitalized the farm sentiment against 
Whitman, and promised changes which he. too. re¬ 
pudiated after election. Instead of making the 
changes he promised in the Farms and Markets De¬ 
lta rtment, he traded his interest in that department 
for the city public service department, which car¬ 
ried considerable patronage for his organization. 
The second year he attempted to redeem his pre¬ 
election pledges to some extent, but by that time the 
farmers had lost confidence in his purposes and paid 
•10 attention to his suggestions of belated reform. 
Cf he had proposed an honest reorganization prompt¬ 
ly at the beginning of his term, as he had prom¬ 
ised. nothing could have stopped it, and if he had 
maintained a consistently friendly attitude to agri¬ 
culture during his term he would have held the 
farmers who first voted for him, and he would have 
oeen re-elected. In other words, there is an intelli¬ 
gent. watchful, independent, farm vote in the State 
if New York that, cares little for political parties, 
but is awake to the interests of the farm. This vote 
cannot be bought, bribed or fooled. So far it has 
been forced to expend itself mainly in protest: but 
it is gaining in strength, and may shortly become a 
•onstructive force in the State. 
THE NEW GOVERNOR.—We take it that Gov- 
-•ruor Miller is giving no thought lo two years hence. 
He, however, is not indifferent to the success of his 
present administration. lie has already suggested 
some good policies. 11 is economy measures have 
already been challenged. He will need public sup- 
jort to make them effective. Farmers will support 
aim in every measure for the good of the State and 
>f the people, but they will not enthuse over the 
saving of a few dollars alone. They will look for a 
>road. comprehensive State policy. They will expect 
hat policy to be consistent, and to include the inter¬ 
ests of the farm. They have relied on promises many 
itues. and have many times been disappointed. They 
ire not pessimistic or cynical. They are optimistic 
md hopeful. They have a great agricultural State 
and they know it. They are a powerful factor in the 
state and they begin to realize that, too. In the 
future, if things do not come right they are going to 
■ake a hand in the job. They want an agricultural 
lepartment for service and not for sentiment or pol¬ 
ities. A farmer here and there in a political posi- 
rion with his hands tied does not satisfy them. A 
arger appropriation for an agricultural institution 
is not enough. The farmer is no longer satisfied 
with help and encouragement to increase produc- 
ion. 
FARM NEEDS.—His need is to find a way to sell 
vhat he now produces at a profit. He wants to be 
able to exchange the products of a day's skilled labor 
>n the farm for the product of a day’s skilled labor 
m the factory and shop. He wants a fair share of 
the consumer’s dollar for the things he ships to feed 
che city. No one denies that lie is right in these de¬ 
mands; but no one in authority has yet made a 
move in good faith to comply with his demand. He 
made a little start once through the Department of 
Markets, and he knows now that the partnership be¬ 
tween the food trusts and the politicians side¬ 
tracked him; but it all taught him that the State is 
either for him or against him. He knows that the 
middlemen could not maintain their system of rob¬ 
bery without the help of the State. He knows that 
with State protection withdrawn from the specu¬ 
lator he could protect himself in the markets of the 
State. Just what use he is going to make of this 
experience and information in the near future is 
not easy at this time to predict. Just now, however, 
the New York farmer is going through a trying ex¬ 
perience. He is not in a humor to be jollied. He 
knows what he wants. He wants the distribution 
problem changed to give him a square deal. He 
knows it can he done; and he is not longer disposed 
to accept excuses. Any attempt to sidetrack that 
proposition will be equivalent to an evidence of bad 
faith. 
A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.—Governor Miller lias 
m opportunity to do a great service to agriculture, 
and at the same time to bring to himself by proper 
means the support of the whole farm population. It 
the Banking Department needed reorganization tie 
would put bankers on the job. The Agricultural 1 le¬ 
partment needs reorganization. Why nofc let farm¬ 
ers do it? If it is to be done in a way to serve 
farmers, no one is better qualified to do it than them¬ 
selves. Last year in a referendum of about 30.000 
farm voters. 9S per cent demanded a thorough reor¬ 
ganization of the department. If Governor Miller 
will appoint a ’-^organization committee dominated 
by these actual fanners with necessary legal talent, 
and legislative representation, if thought, best, he 
will do a real service to the whole State, and put 
golden letters in the agricultural record of bis admin¬ 
istration. 
Cornell Plans for Farmers’ Week 
Cornell officials have arranged a Farmers’ Week pro¬ 
gram for February 14 to 19. inclusive, that promises to 
be one of the most valuable events of the kind ever held. 
All the varied interests of home and farm find a place on 
the schedule. 
About 400 persons take part in the week’s program, 
which includes 43S events, lectures, demonstrations, 
round tables, forums and conferences. Distinguished 
speakers that will be heard include Prof. (’. II. Tuck, 
former head of extension work in the State, recently re¬ 
turned from five years of eventful experiences while 
studying agricultural conditions iu Manchuria and Rus¬ 
sia; ex-Senator Henry M. Sage, who owns a large farm 
near Albany : Dr. W. E. Castle of Howard University, 
former Congressman A. F. Lever, author of the Smith- 
Lever bill that instituted Farm Bureaus, and now a 
member of the Federal Loan Association ; Homer Folks 
of the State Board of Charities; Commissioner of Agri¬ 
culture Hogue, R. C. Ague of the American Red Cross. 
•T. D. Miller of the Dairymen’s League, and many other 
noted men. 
Cho-Cho, the clown, who is employed by the Federal 
Child Health Association to teach young and old the 
value of milk as a food, will be a feature. 
A style, or clothing, show, will demonstrate, on living 
models, the kind of clothes the economical buyers needs 
to buy in order to outfit the family suitably. 
A county fair is scheduled by students of home eco¬ 
nomics, showing how to manage a fair and judge the 
premiums at the usual county fair. 
The women’s clubs of the State have one afternoon, 
with Mrs. Nettie Hewitt presiding. 
A drawing feature last year, and one sure to be very 
popular this year, were the community games and rec¬ 
reations that members of the staff put on in the early 
evenings, engaging the Farmers’ Week guests in lively 
fun. The country newspaper conference on Thursday 
is a new feature that was instituted last year and will 
he continued this year. The rural education conference 
on Wednesday forenoon and all day Thursday and Fri¬ 
day, ought to engage the interest of hundreds of rural 
parents of the State. The discussions on Thursday will 
all be from the parents' or community point of view, 
covering parent-teacher associations, improvement of 
rural school buildings and grounds, the rural health 
nurse, providing high school opportunities, and the school 
lunch. Friday’s discussions will be from the teachers’ 
point of view. 
A valuable rural church confereuce begius Tuesday 
afternoon and closes Wednesday at noon. This was 
most helpful last year and will be equally so this year. 
Farmers may employ student help at this time by cor¬ 
responding with the office in advance, as the Winter 
courses close with Farmers’ Week. 
Re sure to attend some of these events if possible, 
making constant use of the big program book for the 
week, showing where all the events take place and when. 
M. G. F. 
The “Truth in Fabrics” Bill 
Before taking up in detail the statements made in the 
recent article by Charles C. Perry, will suggest that to 
the men who attended the hearings on the “truth-in¬ 
fabric” bill at Washington last. Winter they will sound 
like “old stuff.” Indeed, some of them are so nearly 
identical with the arguments put forward by tin* shoddy 
interests that one cannot help the suspicion that Mr. 
Perry has an intimate friend who is connected with the 
manufacture of shoddy. 
His other statements on the subject of tariff revis¬ 
ion remind one of a last year’s almanac, very useful last 
year, but considerably out of date at the present time. 
It seems inconceivable that a farmer and wool grower 
who is an ex-president of the Washington and Rensse¬ 
laer Counties Wool Growers’ Association, should be 
unaware that practically every wool and mutton grow¬ 
ers’ association in this country, as well as thousands of 
individual wool growers, have been doing everything in 
their power for months to secure the enactment of pro¬ 
tective tariff for the above mentioned staples. 
For the further information of Mr. Perry will state 
that last October E. L. Moody, who is president of the 
New York State Federation of Wool Growers, of which 
organization Air. Perry’s own county association is a 
member, went to Washington in company with delegates 
from many other wool associations to try to secure an 
embargo on the vast quantities of wool and mutton with 
which this country was being flooded. Failing at that 
time, representatives of the various farm organizations 
were back thpre immediately on the convening of Con¬ 
gress. and are still there working for the passage of the 
emergency tariff lull. 
Early last Fall I was assigned to speak at several dif¬ 
ferent county wool association meetings in the eastern 
part of the State, and found the farmers very much alive 
to the importance of a protective tariff as well as the 
“truth-in-fabrie” hill and in every instance strong res¬ 
olutions were adopted favoring tho'm hnth. 
Mr. Perry states that “he for one prefers to buy an 
all-wool suit of clothes made of shoddy from tailors’ 
clippings rather than to buy a virgin wool suit made of 
some of the virgin wool that he and his neighbors raise.” 
Now. tailors’ clippings form a very small portion of 
the shoddy material, and I wish Mr. Perry would ex¬ 
plain just how one is to know one’s suit is made from 
the clippings and not from some filthy old rags fished 
from the gutter. 
W hy, right here Mr. Perry gives us an excellent 
argument for the “truth-in-fabric” bill. It is quite 
within the bounds of possibility, that with the present 
high price of shoddy, some miserable manufacturer may 
work in a good 50 per cent of virgiu wool and foist it 
on his customer as shoddy. . Of course after a few days’ 
wear one will have the suspicion from the excellent man 
uer that the suit keeps its shape and its general wear¬ 
ing qualities that one has been stung, but wliat can you 
do about it? Under the present laws one has no redress. 
I have lived for 50 years in Air. Perry’s neighborhood 
Hid am intimately acquainted with the sheep raised 
there, and must confess that I have a much higher opin¬ 
ion of them than he has. Washington and Renssel ter 
< ounty wool growers take a great deal of pride in the 
production of long healthy wools with strong fiber, also 
in its preparation for market, and in proof that they 
have succeeded they have repeatedly been told by the com¬ 
mission houses who have handled their wool that their 
product was fully the equal of Ohio and Michigan XXX, 
and the returns have justified that assertion. Unlike 
Mr. Perry, T very much prefer to have my suit made 
from the poorest part even of the virgin wool grown hy 
himself and neighbors to the shoddy made from the 
tailors’ clippings. If Afr. Perry really means to be fair 
why does ho only give the quotations on the best class of 
shoddy material? 
Why not give us prices and statistics of the thousands 
of pounds of foreign rags which are arriving from the 
blood-stained battlefields of Europe? Even Germany 
has contributed thousands of tons of rags for the manu¬ 
facture of shoddy clothing, which Air. Perry thinks does 
not affect the price of our virgin wools. I know people, 
who are not interested in wool growing who are pa¬ 
triotic enough to object to shoddy for that, one reason. 
Air Perry fears that if passed the “truth-in-fabrie” 
bill cannot he enforced. We have been told repeatedly 
that prohibition could never be enforced. Did Air. 
Perry consider that a sufficient reason to condemn the 
measure? lie also says “we do not know that any 
test will determine if that all wool is virgin wool or 
shoddy.” Well, what of it? Neither do I, and if I did 
what good would it do me or anybody else? It is no 
crime to work any old thing off in cloth at present. Give 
us a proper cloth branding measure, however, with a 
penalty attached, and American genius with the 
financial backing possible for the wool growers to give 
through their State marketing associations, will quickly 
find some means for distinguishing true from false. 
No! The wool growers are not “barking up the wrong 
tree! The majority of them are perfectly familiar 
with the figures and statistics quoted, and have been, 
are, and will continue working to secure a protective 
tariff for wool and mutton. They also know, however, 
that with present rate of exchange no tariff law can be 
passed that will give immediate relief, so are redoubling 
their efforts to secure the enactment of the French-Cap¬ 
per “truth-in-fabric” bill, which thev feel will be fully as 
important in stabilizing prices as the tariff can lie. 
“AVhat is the matter with the lamb market? Is it 
shoddy or foreign competition?” Both. The unre¬ 
stricted use of shoddy has kept vast quantities of wool 
from being sold, which curtails the purchasing power of 
the grower. This in turn compels manufacturers to de¬ 
crease wages or run on part time, which compels the 
laboring man to economize, which is reflected to some 
extent in the values of all commodities. 
“Let us stop and think a moment.” Good! Excellent 
advice, and I commend it to Air. Perry’s personal at¬ 
tention. May I suggest the following topics for his 
careful consideration? 
1. The “truth-in-fabric” proposed law is eminently 
just to all. It only requires the fabric manufacturer to 
do what the producer of food is required to do— 
label his product for exactly what it is. 
2. The majority of people will really prefer a virgin 
wool suit to a shoddy when they understand that it 
will wear two or three times as long, at the least cal¬ 
culation, and that the price need not be excessive, since 
at the highest values $6 would buy sufficient raw wool 
of the finest quality to make a man’s size suit of clothes. 
3. I he manufacturer does not prefer to use shoddy 
for the small additional profit to he made over the virgin 
vyool cloth, rather because he will sell one about three 
times as much, owing to the poor wearing qualities of 
the shoddy. 
4. 3 hat t *.e demand for shoddy has been so great that 
its price advanced about 1.200 per cent in something 
like three years. 
•>. q hat wool is sometimes reworked as many as eight 
tunes 
6. Rags with cotton and other vegetable impurities 
have them cut out with strong acids, which, after what 
remains is run through a rag grinder, leaves a mess of 
stiff hairs with little warmth anti poor wearing qualities. 
Virgin wool fibers have length, desirable and essential 
for durability in yarn and textiles. They have a crimp, 
which when stretched out in spinning, tries to come 
back. They have enlargements, or small barbs that fit 
against each other on fellow fibers and interlock with 
f h p crimp, adding to the strength and permanency of the 
cloth; also, they have their natural life utility, the prop¬ 
erties necessary for them to do the work for'which thev 
were created. 
Shoddy is short., as anyone can see by picking a rag 
to pieces. The hairs are only called fibers bv courtesy. 
The crimp and scales are gone, and their life is lost 
from wear and the tribulation at the hands of the rag¬ 
man while trying to fix them to call them “wool.” 
fn closing. Air. Perry says: "In view of the above 
facts and figures the writer feels more interested in 
tariffs than in shoddy.” He evidently has a single- 
track mind. Now that he has finally absorbed and di¬ 
gested the idea that a tariff is essential to the welfare 
of the wool growers, may I respectfully suggest that he 
turn his attention to the facts and figures relating to 
the manufacture and use of shoddy? I feel sure that 
after due deliberation he will arrive at the same con¬ 
clusion that the balanee of the growers have some time 
ago; that the proper labeling of cloth is of just as much 
importance to the wool grower as the laws relating to 
the^sale of oleo are to the dairyman. 
New York. JOHN c. cottrell. 
