American Agriculturist, February 16, 1924 
Washington and General 
News 
W ASHINGTON and the whole nation 
are mourning the death of the World 
War president, Woodrow Wilson, who 
died at his home in Washington on Sun¬ 
day, February 3rd, and was buried with 
the simplest services of a private citizen 
on Wednesday, February 6th. Govern¬ 
ment business was largely suspended dur¬ 
ing the week and quite generally through¬ 
out the country during the funeral ser¬ 
vices on Wednesday. 
* * * 
Excitement still runs in fever heat in 
connection with the Senate investigations 
of the government oil leases, on which we 
commented last week. Investigations 
were held up for a few days after the death 
of President Wilson. 
The Ways and Means Committee in 
the House of Representatives has reported 
favorably on the Mellon Plan for reducing 
taxes, chiefly income taxes. The big 
fight on important provisions in this bill is 
expected to be developed on the floor of 
the House of Representatives when the 
bill comes up for debate. Both the Na¬ 
tional Grange and the American Federa¬ 
tion of Farm Bureaus are opposed to the 
Mellon plan qf tax reduction, believing 
that it would be of little aid to farmers. 
A bill has been reported favorably by 
the Committee on Agriaulture in the 
Senate, providing government aid to the 
farmers in the wheat belt to enable them 
to stock their farms with livestock. Be¬ 
fore the committee reported thisjjill, an 
amendment was added providing^that it 
should be extended to the cotton farmers, 
and increasing the proposed appropriation 
from 50 to 75 million dollars. While 
everybody else’s hand is in the grab-bag, 
we are wondering where the Eastern 
fanner is coming out. 
* * * 
The House Committee on Military 
affairs has voted to report favorably a bill 
providing for the acceptance of Henry 
lord’s offer for the 100-year lease and the 
completion and operation of the govern¬ 
ment fertilizer plant at Muscle Shoals. 
The bill therefore will soon be up on the 
House floor for debate. 
The National Council of Farmers’ 
Cooperative Marketing Organizations 
met in Washington on February 7, 8 and 
9. This meeting brought together for dis¬ 
cussion and conference leaders in the 
cooperative marketing movement from 
all parts of the United States. 
* * * 
Another meeting of national interest to 
farmers is that of the National Board of 
Farm Organizations, held in Washington, 
February 12-13. The program of dis¬ 
cussion was presented by organized 
farmers from all parts of the country. 
Most of the discussions were on proposed 
remedies of the agricultural situation. 
ALBANY AND STATE NEWS 
A LEGISLATIVE hearing was held in 
Albany on February 5 th to discuss 
Governor Smith’s proposal to reduce 
the tax on incomes. Speakers occupied 
the entire afternoon discussing the tax 
situation and arguing for and against the 
income tax reduction bill. Those who 
spoke for farmers were very emphatic in 
that the income taxes should not be 
reduced, but legislation should be passed 
reducing or abolishing property taxes 
which bear heaviest on the farmer. 
* * * 
The New York State Grange met in 
Buffalo during the week beginning Febru¬ 
ary 4 th. Worthy Master Manning was 
unable to preside on account of illness 
and his place was taken by Mr. S. L. 
Strivings. A full report of the Grange 
meeting will be given next week. 
V 
Where the Fanner’s Dollar Buys the Greatest Value 
The chart below shows the 
prices per pound of the basic 
farm machines and other ar¬ 
ticles the farmer buys. 
Ignore for a minute the 
low figure in the big circle 
and study the pound prices of the 
miscellaneous articles. You will see 
that they range all the way from 14- cents up 
’i 39,60and even 81 cents per pound. Yet these 
are not high-priced goods; they are ordinary, 
everyday articles made of the same materials that 
go into farm machines, and the prices are 
accepted as fair by all buyers. The articles are of 
I N some of the stores of any town the farmer's a standard line sold practically everywhere. 
dollar buys the necessities of life; in others it Now note the low average retail price per pound 
buys physical comforts; in still others it buys of farm mac hi ne s. The average pound price of these 
pleasures. In the farm equipment store the farmer s dollar bagic mac hines and implements, needed by every 
buys the means to make many more dollars . It buys the g ra i n _g roW ing farmer, is less than the lowest in the 
equipment which, like the land itself, is responsible Qther group. Some of these farm machines have com* 
for his progress and prosperity. When the farmer 
invests in modern farm machines, he is really buying 
clothing and education, electric lights, automobiles, 
radio outfits, etc., because these things are purchased 
with the money made by farm machines. 
Of all the stores in town, the farm equipment store is 
the one where the farmer gets the greatest return for his 
money. This is true not only on the basis of the fore¬ 
going but it is found true also by comparing the prices 
paid by the farmer for different articles made of simi¬ 
lar materials. 
An interesting comparison has been made by the 
Research Department of the National Association of 
Farm Equipment Manufacturers. They took, Firsts 
a group of eleven basic farm machines: Sulky plow, 
peg tooth harrow, disk harrow, grain drill, com 
cultivator, corn planter, corn sheller, grain binder 
mower, hay rake, and farm wagon—and, Second, a 
list of common articles used on the farm but not classed 
as farm equipment. Then they obtained the pound 
prices of these articles by dividing the retail prices by 
the weights. The pound-price basis is the only prac¬ 
tical way to compare these articles and it is entirely 
fair since the materials go through the same machine 
shop and factory processes and are handled by the 
same class of labor. Freight to the dealer’s store was 
not included, since it applies to all articles the farmer 
buys and varies with the distance from point of 
manufacture. 
plicated parts in their makeup and all of them are 
buih to stand years of hard use, yet the average price 
the farmer pays for these necessary farm machines is only 
13 cents per pound. 
The above comparisons, which can be du¬ 
plicated in any community in this country, 
prove the statement that the farmer pays less 
money, pound for pound , for the machines that 
do his work than he pays for any other similar 
manufactured article he buys . 
This shows what farm machines would cost if they were priced like other articles the farmer buys: 
A sulky plow, priced like a wringer, would cost about $45 MORE 
A peg-tooth harrow',, priced like a forge, would cost about $30 MORE 
A disk harrow, priced like a buck saw, would cost about $50 MORE 
A grain drill, priced like a food chopper, would cost about $390 MORE 
A corn planter, priced like a forge, would cost about $60 MORE 
A corn cultivator, priced like a vise, would cost about $40 MORE 
A com sheller, priced like a milk can. would cost about $20 MORE * nnn 
A 7-ft. grain binder, priced like the cheapest automobile, would cost about $200 MOKE 
A 7-ft. grain binder, priced like an ash can, would cost about $150 MORE 
A 5-ft. mower, priced like a lawn mower, would cost about $80 MORE 
A hay rake, priced like a garden rake, would cost about $110 MORE 
A wagon, priced like a hand washing machine, would cost about $50 MORE 
The National Association of Farm Equipment Manufacturers has 
issued several bulletins on subjects similar to the above. We will be 
glad to see that the full set is sent to those interested. Drop us a line. 
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J 
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When writing advertisers be sure to 
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AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
KEYSTONE EVAPORATOR 
FAMOUS EVERYWHERE 
because one man can operate without help of any 
kind. Our new Keystone Heater increases capacity 
40 per cent. Use3 all waste heat. 
Write for Catalogue 
SPROUL MFG. CO. 
Delevan, N. Y. 
ftale 
Number 
of Trees 
You Tap 
