Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-02-26
NATION MUST CURB
PRICE OF PRODUCTS
BIG RAILROAD MAGNATE SAYS
TRUSTS AND TARIFF ARE on
LY SECONDARY PROBLEMS
COMPARED TO COST OF LIVING

NEW YORK, Feb. 2O-"They talk
about revision of the tariff" said James
j. Hill, to a reporter today. why, at
our present rate Of expenditures the tar
if is scarcely on a reveiue basis. How.
then, is it to be scaled unless we shave
down the cost of government?
''I am not a free trader" he went on,
''but 1 see the evils in the present tar
In schedules, although I do not know how
they are to be remedied unless we shall
call a halt upon the cost of government
or shift the taxlthus placed upon the peo-
pie to home products.
LAS to trusts, / guess Mr.. Havemeyer
was about right when he testified before
committee at Washington that the tar
iff was the mother of trusts.
Hill is an Optimist
"But these questions or problems will
be solved They are much more soluble
than the one of supreme Importance,
which is now to extract from the soil the
maximum Of production at the minimum
of cost The trust will break down of its
own weight long before we solve this
greater problem. Upon its solution de-
ponds wholly the answer to your ques-
ton: What is the cause and what Is
the remedy of the present cost of liv-
ing?'"
New England" he said, illustrates
the condition we shall be in as a nation
before the generation Of young men just
now taking hold of affairs turns the reins
over to the next generation unless we
bring about radical changes in our farm
ing methods. When / asked an intelli-
gent New Highlander recently what New
England now produced, his answer was.
! college diplomas and edged tools
But do you object to the college dlplo-
mas?" he was asked.
mot at ALL" he replied, unless II
takes from the blacksmith shop or the
pillow good blacksmiths and good plow-
men. 1t ought to fit each class better
for the work to be done, but 1 fear it is
not doing that. New England's soil Is
worn out and it's civilization is showing
the effect of this in spite of the vast edu-
cational resources of that section"
Value of Products
did you know that the value of the
agricultural products of this country last
year was $500, O0O, 600? That is greater
than the foreign trade of all Europe
about which we hear so much from per-
sons who do not know what is ailing us.
Do you know, furthermore, that 20 per
cent of our exports are products of the
| farm and that the volume of these ex-
ports is decreasing instead of increasing ?
These facts are of tremendous Importance.
Primarily they show that our greatest
industry still is agriculture and that pro-
duction per acre is not keeping pace with
nome consumption. So there you have
the situation in a nut shell.
twenty-five years or less ago the same
amount of capital produced let us say,
twice as much as it produces at present
With facts like these before them, can't
! the American people see and understand
| why it costs them more to live now than
ever before?
THE farmers occupation is the first to
exist in civilized state. 1t is the basis
of all other Industries. And only recent
ly We began to realize that it is or can
be made an exact science. Not until
it is practiced by a larger proportion OF
our farmers as an exact science will we
obtain relief from present conditions.
at is we'll assured as anything can be
that the population of the United States
will be two hundred million by about
| the middle of the century, or in less than
| fifty years.
For the last three years our consump-
| ton of wheat per capita has been either
slightly under or slightly over seven bush
els. Suppose it is only six and half
bushels per capita. 1t will then require
al the present scale of living. a total
wheat for our bread supply If we do not
export any Twice only in our history
have we exceeded the 7OOOOO.OOO bushels
mark. 1t is fair to say that CSC, 100000 bush
els is our present average capacity.
Will Reduce Acreage
1--WE have no longer an unlimited public
domain awaiting the plough. on the
whole, it lis more likely that the wheat
acreage will be reduced than that il
will be enlarged. We may perhaps as
sumo that a steady and certain price OF
81 or SIPS per bushel for wheat may
raise our total annual production to
800, 900 bushels which would be q
per cent more than is the present aver
age. This is the extreme limit of prob
| ability.
The ccuntry could under present
! methods do no more unless it took LAND
just as necessary for other purposes and
devoted 1t to wheat raising.
Figuring on the present rate of con-
| sumption we shall be left practically
with a shortage of 4O0,0O0,0OO bushels In
our wheat supply, even supposing we
consume every grain we raise. This
amount we should have to procure from
| some other source.
| 1--WE must be prepared to send abroad
about $500, 600 600 worth of some comnSOd-
/ lLy III payment 1OI lhS WhSoI VIC VIZ
| need. We must also make good the def
cit occasioned by the cessation of our ex-
ports of breadstuffs and provisions. In
the year ending June 20, 1909. we export
ed wheat and flour to the value in round
numbers of $164, 100000 That will be
J cut off so we shall have to find $780,
| OO0, 600 in all to pay our food bill.
/ On tire railroad question Mr.. Hill
strangely enough seemed to feel COM
/ paratively little interest. THE cost OF
transportation is going up" he said, land
will contiue to do so until general
change of industrial conditions is brought