Norwich Bulletin Newspaper, September 24, 1920, Page 2

THE FARMER' TALK] (Written Specially for The Bulletin.) I was not present myself, but a chiel who was there takin' notes brought me the report, in full detail and with figures ‘written down. It seems that the usual Saturday even- ing club was in session in the back room of the local store. The conversation turned, as all conversations nowadays do, upon the cost of living. Various instances were cited of exorbitant charges for common necessaries of life. At last the storekeeper, being appealed to for an answer to the question “How much havé things gone up, anyway?’ hunted up some old books and the sel-appointed secretary of the club took down the figures. Here they are, prices charged at the same store for the same articles in 1904 and 1920: Prices in 1904 1920 Flour, barrel $6.50 $17.00 Sugar, pound .60 3 Raisins, pound 12 Rice, pound 04 Kerosene, gallon 10 Lard, pound 15 Cheese, pound ... 16 Crackers. pound 08 Bread, loat 10 Coffee, pound 20 Tea, pound J 30 Molasses, galion ... 40 12 Totals i $8.20 $21.37 The difference is $13.13, wiich repre- sents the increase in cost of these 12 articles of daily household necessity in 16 years. The present prices are 260 per cent. of the 1804 prices. That is, the same things which one bought in 1804 for a dollar cost him, at the same store, $2.60 now. There are, I believe, certain groups of men at Washington who draw big salaries from the treasury fo- “figgerin’” the meovements in prices. We have all read their various and multifarious pronounce- ments, according to which the cost of %iving has increased from 87 9-16th per ecent. to 113 11-98ths per cent., as they happened to “figger” one way or another. We, most of us, know about what such computations are based on and what they are worth. Mere, however, in this storekeeper’s comparison, we get down to brass tacks. We strike something tangible. We know the figures on which the comparison is based, for we're paying 'em now, and we paid ‘em 16 years ago. We're on solid ground, for once. Ard that's better, even. if the ground is unduly elevated, than a fog-bank of estimates and guesses and arbitrary deductions, such as the Wash- Ington statements are mostly based upon. It is met claimed that these local prices accurately represent the facts in all parts of the country. But they do staté the facts with mathematical accuracy for this particular neighborhood. No doubt simi- lar comparisons, similarly obtained from similar books of record in other locali- ties, would show about the same general results. There is no reason to suppose that this little farming town was favored with exceptionally low prices in 1904 or vietimized with exceptionally high ones in 1920. We're about the average coun- try community and we get about the same treatment which is accorded other country communities. Twe hundred and sixty per cent.! Note these figures again. The same storekeep- +r's books showed that he was paying 32 sents a dozen for eggs in 1904. Applying the percentage charged for other necessi- ties, not farm-produced, we get 83 cents s the price he should be paying now. As « matter of fact, he is paying 70 cents, which makes the poultryman just 13 cents worse off now than he was in 1904, Thinking of that discrepancy set me wondering how the prices 1 have been able to get for garden truck in 1920 com- pared with those 1 used to get in 1904. Portunately, I also have records of my sdles both seasons. Let it be understood that T do but a small business, cultivat- ing only some six or seven acres, and that I sefl only direct to consumers, never to ather dealers. So I have made up a comparison of 12 vegetables such as [ raise and sell; their prices in 1904 and in 1920, They follow: 1904 1920 Asparagus, bunch $.20° § .30 Spinach, peck: . 15 .28 Lettuce, head | .05 .10 B e . 40 75 String beans, quart .08 08 Bunch beets . . 05 10 Bunch onions 05 .05 Potatoes, peck . 35 .50 Tomagoes, basket 10 12 1-2 Sweet corn, dozen .. 10 .20 TO FARMERS DON'T BLAME THE FARMER FOR ANOTHER'S MISDOINGS \ Cucumbers, per 100 35 .5 Lima beans, bushel 50 2.50 ' Totals ..3ed5 $5.70 12 This shows a difference of $1.35 be- tween the prices I have been able to get in 1920 and those paid me for the same things in 1904. Reduced to percentages, again, it shows that vegetables 1 was able to sell 16 years ago for a dollar brought me in $1.35 this present season. That is, the goods T bought for a dollar then at the store—flour, sugar, kerosene, coffee, etc., cost me $2.60 this year, or $1.60 more than 1§ years ago, while the produce I sold for a dollar then brought me $1.35 this year, or 35 cents more than 16 years ago. Afd 1, as a “greedy, grasping, profiteer- ing farmer,” am expected to get rich quick by having my ifcome increased 35 per cent. and my outgo increased 160 per cent. ! 1 really wish some keen City accountant would show me how I am going to pay $1.60 more for my sugar, tea, etc., out of my 35 cents added income, and have a surplus left for banking away ! Mind you, T am not quoting these prices I have obtained as illustrations of what city consumers pay for the same vege- tables. I'm quoting them as illustrations of what the farmer gets. And I'm hoping that some few consumers, seeing them, will have the common sense to charge the exorbitantly high 4ost of living they are compelled to pay against somebody else than the farmer. They may think the prices I obtained were absurdly low.. But I have to dis- tribute my garden produce in competition with other local producers, and I charged all T could and hold my trade. If I had asked more, competitors would have un- dersold me in my local market. Some may think I could have done bet- ter. to sell in lump to city wholesalers. One neighbor tried it. ' He sold 2,000 ears to wholesalers in a nearby city, and the best he could get was 15 cents a dozen as compared with my 20 cents, though corn was retailing that very day, in that same city, at 40 cents a dozen. Another neighbor tried another city with a small crop of tomatoes. He was offered 50 cents a bushel for them, delivered, which was just half what.l was getting. In despair he offered me all I'd take at 70 cents a bushel. I took 30 bushels and sold them for $30, thus making $9 for myself and geting him $6 more than the city wholesaler would offer. So you see that lump selling proposition wouldn't have meant more money to me for my truck. Talking about these mythical “huge Drofits” of the farmer, another recent ad- venture of a fruit-growing neighbor is both amusing and instructive. He has perhaps 40 or 50 barrels of rather nice apples on his trees, and so drove to the nearest city the other day to see about marketing them. He planned to pick and barrel them himself and deliver them in the city. First he got the price of barrels —empty apple barrels, for packing them Two dollars a barrel was the lowest price any city dealer would quote then to him, and he would haveto come and get them. Next he tried three big fruit stores to see what they would offer him for the filled barrels, 4nd $2 a barrel was the best anyone would give, barrels thrown in®of course. He figured that it would cost him at least a dollar a barrel, money-out, to pick, grade, pack and de- liver the fruit at the city, 12 miles away. That meant $3 a barrel cost and $2 a bar- rel. income. He has been aceustomed to working for nothing and paving his own H. €. L. but when it came to giving his apples away and then paying a dollar a barrel to the wholesaler for being good enough to take them, he demurred. At lasé reports was considering the idea of taking a chance with the Volstead law and turning his choice fruit into cider. Whether, if he does so, he will be able to sell a barrel of pure cider vinegar for as much as the empty barrel will cost him is the problem he's now trying to solve. I hope he'll discover some way to make a nickel from his or- chard, for T've got a few nice apples red- dening up myself, and I should hate to he have to feed them to the pigs! It is apparently a trait of human nad ture always to blame somebody else for We shall doubtless have its misfortunes. Children Cry FOR FLETCHER'S CASTORIA thatch, shields. hav I cannot hope that Sorrow's nex forever and a day Will pass my little House of Love where latticed sunbeams -t.r-y, But when she lays her hand at last upon the swinging latch, And steps where happy years have smiled Dbeneath our spring-sweet Grant me, ah, God, this heartfelt prayer, that somewhere it may be ‘Where little, ‘small-town sympathy may fold and comfort me. ¢ The little, small-town sympathy that runs across the flelds , - > In blue-checked gingham aprons, and with flour upon its hands, That bakes and brews, and sweeps and dusts, that wakeful serves and The little, small-town sympathy that knows and understands. Thy cities, God, are builded high with craven stone on stone, But hearts may ache, and lives may droop unheeded and alone, And souls may dwell unknown, unloved, a single wall between— Not so the quiet, home-Sweet lives that fringe the village green. Let others reap the splendors, Lord, but give'instead to me The homely round of living blent with small-town sympathy. The little, small-town sympathy that st From tiny lamp-lit' houses down a maple-shaded street; That lends its strength on tear-dimmed ways its own bruised feet e trod, The hltle. small-town sympathy—the very soul of God. , Martha Haskell Clark in Good Housekeeping. is on neighbor feet to wait several millenniums to see that trait reformed. In the meantime, how- ever, if people must blame someone else, it would seem the simplest sort of justice, one might say even of common decency; to make some discrimination between those Who really deserve blame and those who do not. The workman is worthy of his wage, but why pay the farmer the wage of cusses which the middleman carns? Come, now, dearly beloved fault-finder with the cost of living, why not use your brains and your sense of justice just for once, and find out the, facts before you begin to utter denunciations? If a farmer is guilty of profiteering, swat him! Il be the jast to lend him a shingle for his protection. But-—be sure you're right before you go ahead. Be sure he's the critter that is really to blame. If he isn't why pound him for another man’s wrorgdoing? It is right to give honor where honor is due. FEqually it is right to condemn where condemnation is due. But it isn't right, hor fair, nor decent to mix those babies up and spank the i nocent cherub for the pesky brat's mis- deeds. THE FARMER. HUMOK OF THE DAY Hub (in excuse)—Snoring, my. dear, is the sign of an easy conscience. Wife—There are times, Richard. when I really wish you wern't so complacent about your past life—Boston Transcript. Miss Oldum—Didnt T hear him remark to you that I was very sensible for my years? Miss Blunt—No, dear; he said you were very sensitive about your years.— Boston Transcript. He—1 was reading in a book where the ancients believed that kissing was a sure cure for head:ghes. She (sweetly)—Well, I can say I never took a headache powder in my life—Bos- “Leonidas!” exclaimed Mrs. Keekton, “aresyou aware that 1 was reading my essay on politics aloud to you?" “Yes, my dear.” “But rou went to sleep.” “Why not. You removel every pros- lem so completely that I saw no further reason for retaining personal conscious- ness.”—Los Angeles Times. THE KALEIDOSCOPE The wedding ring was originally worn on the thumb. The color vellow is said to have a ben- eficial effect on the heaith. The feminine name of Agnes is derived from “agnus,” the Latin word for a lamb. Paris's “Queen of Beauty” for this vear's carnival was a typist only eight- een years of age. The first woman mayor in England was Mrs. Garrett Anderson, Wwho was elected mayor of Aldeburg in 1908. According to careful estimates, three hours of close study year out the body more than ten hours of hard physical exertion. ; When a seventh son is born in Argen- tina, the president of the republic be- comes his godfother, according to custom, and President Irigoyen now has quite a large family of godsons. Euphrates, a native of Tyre, belonged to the Stoic school of phTosophy. In his old age he became tired of life, asked and obtained permission from Hadrian to put an end to himself by poison. The first balloon ascension is said to have been made by an Italian aeronaut at Copenhagen, September 14, 1851, but the man lost his life, being dashed to pieces when the balloon fell on an island. Albums were originally whitened boards used in ome for for displaying public no- tices. " Disciples of Luther Burbank have ton Globe. Mrs. Wiggs—Is Billy ill, Mrs. Skinner? Mrs. Skinner—Well ‘e ain't ill exactly, but no stummick can stand thirteen buns! Its' an unlucky number.—London Tit- Bits. The Senator—After you. have finished with the United States Constitution what will you tackle next? e Reformer—My dear sir, we shall next amend the Decalogue. We find it very lax in spots.—Life. They ‘were strolling on the pier. “I spent my -honeymoon here at this resort,” said he. That is the happiest time of one’s life, T suppose,” said she. “Oh, yes; one is 8o ignorant of the fu- ture.”—Pearson's pVeekly. “Jagsby has crossed the ocean several time “Yet T dare say he knows very little| about a ship.” “Enough for his purposes. He knows where to tank up and where to sleep it off.”—Birmingham Age-Herald. Would you rather write songs of a nation than the laws?" “I'm not absolutely sure,’ 'replied Sen- ator Sorguhm. “But I cannot fail to observe that mest people know the songs by heart and do mot trouble to inform themselves about the laws.’—Washing- ton Star. Selected Wheat The best that grows goes into King Arthur Flour making it the highest grade flour in the United States. | So good it does not .require bleaching— - King Arthur is Unbleached FREE TRIAL thll w.—'“”‘“lv& paintol,or of bow —.. Ty T . trial will conviaee you aise. Utley & Jones, Pharmacists, 145 Main St. All For Norwich — Boost the New “Chamber of Citizenship” N. 5. GILBERT & SONS SHETUCKET STREET Fifty Years Selling of Good Furniture A Variety of Patterns and Prices DINING ROOM SETS — MAHOGANY AND WALNUT LIVING ROOM SUITES, COVER- ED IN CHOICE TAPESTRIES WITH LOOSE CUSHION SEATS—CHOICE MISSION STYLES — CHAMBER FURNITURE — BRASS AND IRON BEDS. Visitors Welcome perfected the Ponderosa lemon ‘that ‘and reaches the size largest grapefruit. Its flavor is mild and it is quite serviceable as the Krupps (iEssen) Germany, employed 0,000 ‘workers before the war. ™ number grew to 115,000 and now stands | at 45,000. The Krupps works are mak- ing agricultural machinery and cash registers among other things. Benedict Hottel, a member of the crew of the steamer Superior City, on Lake Erie, overslept on a night off and reached the dock at Cleveland two minutes after the steamer sailed. That night she sank will all on board. ‘Two prospectors are introducing a sea- plane into the lce lake mining district near Winnipeg, Manitoba, to enable bus- iness men to inspect properties in the shortest e time and make all parte of the extensive mining area easily ac- cessible. ‘When a2 crate of eggs was dropped at a railway station in West Virginia an 1l- legal odor filled the air and a prohibition inspector discovered that the eggs had .been carefully blown and the apertures filled with cement after the eggs had been filled with whiskey. ‘William Gathright, of New Bloomfield, Mo., eight-five years old) has been an invalid for years, unable to leave his chair. New Bloomfied has had a rev!val and he has been converted. When he baptized four men carried his chair into the creek and he remained seated In it while he was baptized. “MECHANICAL DAIRY” NEAR NITRO, WEST VIRGINIA ‘Washington, Sept. 23.—Lack of pastur- age for dairy cattle in the vieinity of Ni- tro, West Virginia, resulted in the es- tablishment at that war-built city of a “mechanical dairy” where milk and cream equivalent tosthe output of a farm with 1,500 milk cows was produced, according to a government report just published. Bottles “nitrolac.” Accommodations for 25,000 inhabitants ‘were provided at Nitro; sehools, church- es, hospitals, department stores, restaur- ants, and all the other elements of a modern well-equipped community being part of the project. As a éonstruction problem it was comparatively simple, but officials began to strike snags as soon as they approached the task of insuring a supply of staple foodstuffs, particularly of fresh milk. Nitro js situated in a mountaneous dis- trict where little, if any natural pas- turage is available. Local milk supplies wete barely sufficient to satisfy the normal demands of Charlestown, the nearest metropolls. Expansion of the natural supply being out of the question, the public health service was asked for aid and the first “mechanical dairy” re- sulted. The process used is described as “emulsification of butter fat obtained from unsalted butter in a solution of skimmed milk powder, or diluted evap- orated milk” A building, 150 feet long, by 51 feet wide, was constructed and provided with huge mixing vats, re- frigerators and bottling apparatus. Chem- the and cans of the fluid were la- belled “reconstructed” milk or cream and What to Eat Doctors Agree That Present Day Foods Do Not Supply Enough Phuphh—A Vital- ly Necesary Bltro-Phosphte a Common|® Organic Phosphate Is What Nerve Sick Tired Out Thin| People Need. It mervous people would eat more old- fashioned oatmeal, graham bread, dried beans and peas, the yolks of many eggs, and even lhe despised circus peanut, they would be helped wonderfully. Rye bRId is fine algo, and so are len- tils and unpolished rice. This is because these particular foods are rich in phosphorus, and, as most peo- ple know, this is a vital element of not flfll}' the perve cells, but of every other cell in the bady. There isn't enough organic phosphate in modern prepared foods to do over 40 per cent. of the men and women of Amer- very much good. That is why 8o many peopie of today are nerve sick, weak, run-down, have no ambition and in many cases are simply “skin and bone. In order to supply this deficiency of phosphorus, physicians in New York are prescribing ~ organic _ phosphate. which feeds the starving nerves just what they need. The most popular organic phosphate and one that every druggist dispenscs i Tells Weak, Nervous People to Grow Vigorous known aa Bitro-Phosphate and comes In hblal form all ready for use. A few grains taken with meals supply the umn!e phosphate ~that most 0ods lack, and it taken regularly, say un grains with each meal, ought to ba ‘wopderfully upbundhg effect in ‘Wweeks on people who are weak, become ulflyfax d. or are growing old and before their time. g of peopie -lw are easily fa- land are ofttimes thin, weak and sadly lacking in firm, healthy flesh, Joseph D. Harrigan, formerly visiting specialist, I\vrlhm‘trn Dispensary, New York, says Patients who were apparently physical wrecks, who {o."lhly tth they needed only a biood tonic ich the blood, have come for treatment, trembling and shaking. their nerve force 2lmost exhausted, and in many such cases the administering of Bitro-Phosphjite has produced seemingly magical resuits.” Physicians and hospitals have for seme time ~ recogn! its value, especially in nervous conditions. So much so that Dr. Prederick Koile, author of medical text books and editor-in-chief of N. Y. Physi- cians' “Who's Who,” is led to make this ment : “Bitro-Phosphiite sheuld be preseribed by every doctor and used by every i- tal to increase strength and nerve force and to enrich -the bl Any- man or woman who desites to be- come more vigorous and energetic; fic build up nerve force and endurance; to fill out undeveloped hoilows and renew old-time ambition can procure this simple remedy at Lee & Osgood's, or any drug store. People who desire mote will pewer, 2 keen, alert mind and sturdy bedy, using Bitro-Phosphate all over Ammerica today with splendid results. e e e S e e e e e ically pure water was used in the mix- ing and careful tests made by the product which proved to be a little superior, if} anything, the report said, to natural milk. MAKING INQUIRY INTO COX'S PROPAGANDA CHARGE ‘Washington, Sept. 33.—Distribution by the newspaper enterprise -association of | what was described as “propaganda” for Governor Cox, the democratic presidential candidate, was inquired into today by the senate committee investigating cam- paign expenditures. Robert P. Seripps, editor of the Scripps newspapers, which he sald numbered 2% with a circulation of 1,250,000 was the witness examined. Replying to questions he said that his father, B. C. Seripps, owned the majority stock in the United Press service, and he identified the news-, paper enterprise association as an “aliied organization.” Mr. Seripps told the committee he had no knowledge of a letter written by Gov- ernor Cox urging exemption for himself or his brother from the draft during the world war. He declared he never heard of such a letter until it appeared in news- paper accounts of the committee’s hear- family in the election of Governo: Cox was purely “public interest.” PPICE REDUCTIONS IN FRANKLIN AUTOMOBILES . 23.—Priee Te ctions ranging from Tz to 21 1-2 pes in all modeis of Franklin automo ff2clive at. cree. were aan tuwy by H H. Frenklin, presi the ~om;j ‘rufacturing thegs 1mum of $: 050 and 1 max rices are cut to 32 46¢ he rew schedule. Vage: 1. the announiepen METAL (VORKERS OF SAVONA REJECT ROME AGREEMENT Cenoa, Sept. 22.—The metal worker of Savona held a stormy meeting today and after violent speeches passed a reso. lution rejecting the agreement concludec in Rome between the government anc the metal workrs' union. The resolution was passed by a large majority and de- clared that it had been decided te main- tain occupation of the works. ings at Chicago. Mr. Scripps said his interest and that of If a man is ruled by his feelings he is apt to travel in a zigzag course. KEEP YOUR FAMILY IN COMFORT NEXT WINTER If you can’t send them to Florida for the winter, do the next best thing and install 2 Round Qak Pipeless Furnace that will circulate the balmy air of the South throughout the house all winter. Thufumncepmvflu a genial warmth that is healthfully humidified, and sends it coursing through all rooms, using a minimum amount of any fuel, ROUND OA PIPELESS HEATING SYSTEM lnesamtyofhgb—gndebenhngeqmpmeni,tht the building boom has caused, makes immediate a protection - against higher prices and delayed installation. Drop in and talk it over at once. ‘NoExtra Charge NOW For Delivery Within 25 Miles of Guaranteed Delivery From Furnaces Now In Stock. WRITE—PHONE—CALL Wewillbeghdtoenmneyom'bome without charge or obligation, and if it is adapted for a Round Oak Heating System Norwich guarantee of tell you sixty years, GUARANTEE Maker’s trained engineers must approve and supply blue print plans for each house before a ROUND OAK may be installed. This carries their guarantee as well as the J. P. Barstow & Company who have been heating engineers for over J. P. BARSTOW & CO. 23-25 WATER STREET