Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-10-07
IMPROVED FARMING ALONE CAN
AVERT A GREAT NATIONAL CRISIS
So Declares j. j. HILL to the Farmers
National Congress
Population Increasing Rapidly and Must
Population Increasing Rapidly and Must
Be Fed and Employed
Manufacturing 10 Decline Owing 10 For
eign Competition and Loss Of Special
Advantages
Madison, Oct. ..

James J. Hill. perhaps for all that
he has achieved through his own re-
sourceful efforts. the greatest railway
creator and operator in America, If
not in the world, believes in inten-
siye farming as the future salvation
of this republic SO he told a great
audience in the armory yesterday af-
ternoon-a a thousand auditors
applauded Mr.. Hill sent at his hear
ers a fusillade of figures which was
convincing. He showed that popula-
lion was increasing tremendously
and that, unless a change occurred,
there would be scores of millions to
feed within the next half century and
not CROUCH loaves by yet more mil
liens to 80 round. The remedy is in
dividing the farms and obtaining
more from the land by method, by
fert lization and intelligent farming.
1t was a powerfully effective talk;
and good stuff for members of the
national farmers congress who heard
it. Mr. Hill said:
HIS ADDRESS.
1t has often happened in gatherings
10 promote the interest of agriculture
or irrigation or waterways or some
other national undertaking, that so
many side issues have crept in as to
interfere with the work and weaken
the conclusions of the convention. To
avoid ibis error should be your first
care; since it can have no effect upon
a public that has learned to discount
all so-called official utterances that
are not germane to the body from
which they issue and the subject to
which they are supposed or pretend
TO relate; and since a wide scattering
of subjects must prevent that full dis
cussion of work and interests, which
alone can make it worth while for
you to assemble in gatherings such
this.
For this reason l will confne my
self very closely in what l have to
say to the present state of the argicul-
tural interest in this country; to the
emergencies which ordinary foresight
can distinguish in its near future;
and to those remedies and improve
ments which our knowledge suggests
and which are not merely experiment
tai but ascertained fact. What we
are h ere for is to consider how to in
crease the farmers successes, lessen
his failures and place his work upon
the most certain foundation. His oc-
cupation is the first to exist in a
civilized state. 1t is the basis of all
other industry. And only recently we
are coming to realize that it is an
exact science. The man no longer
deserves the name of farmer who con-
ceives of his industry as scratching
of the earth. a hit-or-miss scattering
of seed and harvesting of such yield
as soil and weather may permit That
is not farming, but game of chance.
This is, therefore, a gathering of rep
resentatives of a profession; and as
such 1t is a first study to consider the
place of farm industry in the national
economy. and to what extent it is pre-
pared to meet present and future de-
mands upon 1t. For grave national
concerns. the state of civilizations, the
condition of social life and the fate of
institutions as well as the farmer S
position and prosperity will depend
upon his readiness TO meet the work
surely coming in the advancing
years.
After an army has been raised
and before it can enter upon any
campaign. the first consideration is to
provide it's food. if that is 4 failure,
the bravest and best organized force
will melt away in week. Our ma
tional supply of food. in like manner.
is fundamental TO the organization OF
our social life and to the progress of
ali our industries. Here We have so
many people Here will be, in few
years, so many more. These things
are mathematically certain. What
demands will they make upon the
country. and how we'll is it prepared
to meet them? No question can be
so fiji for the consideration Of Farm
ers' congress. Indeed it is difficult
to intalligently consider other ques-
l.O.1S ulA4t lldt 1AAC jSlS O-SAA @~N1N@N@
And it is far from settled now. Until
lately it seems scarcely to have been
thought Of and it is generally dis
missed with the vague assertion that
things will come out all right as they
always have A Farmers congress
should understand AID prepare for
the work that lies before the farmer
not in some indefinitely distant fu
ture but within this and the next sue
ceeding generation.
1T is as well assured as any future
event can be that the population Of
the United States viii be 2O0,00O,00C
bv about. the middle of the present
B century. or in less than fifty years
This is proved by the ratin Of in
crease in the past. It may come q
few years later or a few years earlier
according TO circumstances, for good
times lift both the immigration tota
and the domestic birth rate while de
preston decreases both. However
this is immaterial. Millions Of per
sons now living viii see the 200,
$4,000 people here; and the frs
aaestion is hcE they are 10 be fed
TAere will be many grave problems