AGRICULTURAL RELIEF 251 and is so still. A group of farmers that give up their sole time and energy in growing produce for these centers in order that their citizens may have their daily feed is found at every city or community center. Without these farmers these citizens would die. It follows therefore that every such city or community center should in turn look after the welfare of its own farmers. On the other hand, it is only common sense that each such city or center should direct its farmers as to what kind and quantity of each article of food so grown they may desire, and at the same time to fix a price for the producer, so that the burden of entire loss and sometimes financial ruin, as sometimes happens, shall be lifted from the anxious soul of thé farmer. In other words the relationship between the producer and consumer in every such case is mutual, and each should assume his part of the responsibility of the matter and not leave all the misfortune, all of the time, to fall upon the already tired and careworn shoulders of the producer. In the proposed bill it will be seen that the city of Washington, D. C., has heen chosen as the place of first trial for this scheme. It is thought only right that it should be the city first chosen, it being the seat of the government. If this scheme is found successful it will rapidly spread to every other city under the Government, and in the end to every city in the world. "If it is found to be a failure Washington will feel very little, if any the worse off by the trial. Attention is invited to Exhibits Nos. 1 and 2 herewith. Very respectfully, Epwarp H. Boots, 717 21st St., N. W., Washington, D. C, EXHIBIT NO. 1 (This exhibit consists of a copy of the Washington Herald of September 16, 1923, containing the speech of Senator Borah concerning the depserate condition of the farmer, of which no copy is now found.) EXHIBIT NO. 2 In the beginning farming was comparatively simple. The earth was rich, and readily yielded its return to evervone that cultivated the soil. The seasons must necessarily have been better than now. The pests could not have been found then as now. The markets were simple and sure, for every man was both his own producer and consumer. All had plenty to eat, and those who stored up for future needs did it to no purpose. While through all the ages the craft of the farmer has been getting more and more difficult, until now it has reached the point of being the most complicated business on earth. In the time of George Washington money cut but very little figure in the world. The records show that George Washington contracted with a preacher for Pohick Church to preach so many sermous for so many pounds of tobacco. Even up to the time of our own Civil War the farmer still remained largely both his own producer and consumer. The farmers then grew all their own food such as wheat, corn, vegetables, poultry, pork, cattle, etc., as well as their own sugar and beverages, tobacco, and clothing. They then had slaves to do the work. They grew their own wool and spun it into cloth, and their own cotton likewise. The women of the household made them up into clothing. The farmers tanned their own leather from hides of their own slaughtered cattle and made this leather up on their own premises into shoes. At that time they knew little about doctors, lawyers, or artisans of any kind. Each farmer was necessarily a complete plantation within himself. While he had but very little money he had everything else in abundance. There was then scarcely anything to take his money, no railroads, telegraph lines, telephones, automobiles, flying planes, matches, coal oil or petroleum in any form, and few of the luxuries that we of the present day enjoy. All this has changed, while the farmer of to-day is still farming away on practically the precise terms he started in the time of ‘Adam and Eve. Now the soils are everywhere largely depleted and exhausted, and need constantly refertilization of an expensive sort. The labor question is an extremely difficult one to manage. The extravagances of all sorts detract from the attention to business and allure the voung. The markets wherein the farmer must now make his purchases are at the sane time 80 high in price to him as they are probably to no other line of occupations. All other business houses buy at wholesale prices, while the farmer always buys at retail prices, while he always has to sell at wholesale prices, and that at prices little above the cost of production. Even at this the present-day farmer, to make anything of a success of his business, must be an all-round intellicent man.