Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1909-12-31
MIR. Hills Omaha Address.

Mr.. James j. Hill. president of
the Great Northern railway, deliv-
cred an address at the Corn Show
at Omaha which deserves the seri-
Gus consideration of all thinking
farmers. Mr.. Hill on account of his
position can command the atten-
ton of the public generally and
because of his ability and pro
found study of agriculture, as
well as transportation, for many
years deserves the attention of all
thinking farmers.
a number of his recent speeche,
have been misunderstood aud he
has been regarded in some qlIlr-
terS as pessimiSt Nothing could
be further from the truth. His po-
sitlon briefly is that on account Of
the natural increase of population
at home and the large influx Of
population OF this country. about
80 to the square mile, or $4,000
900 in all, VII, by the middle OF
the century, reach 2C0,000,0U0, but
lcng before tiiiS time, unless farm
ing methods are improved, we will
cease to be grain exporting coun-
try auI viii be compelled to in :
port our food from abroad, and
that The only remedy fer this is
haitian nnlf i,.n +inn Of +ba f,ru,e -,
creasing the wheat yield from IA
bushels to 30 and our other grains
Iproportionately. This will bring
very serious problems and arrest.
long before the middle of the cen
tury, our present development and
prosperity unless the American
farmer changes his agricultural
methods and follows the example
Of the farmers of the old world.
Germany has 300 inhabitants t.
the square mile, ten times AS tense
IA population as the United States,
and yet imports comparatively lit
tie. Holland has AGA inhabitants
to the square mile with very little
importation from the outside. Den
mark has dense population, and
while it imports some food, it is
one Of the most prosperous agri-
cultural communities of the world.
As far as he goes Mr.. Hill's po-
Isition is absolutely sound. The diff
ficulty, however, is that he does
not tell us how we are to secure
farm labor necessary for this in
tensive cultivation. The farmer is
now doing the most that he can
with the labor at hand. He is u.s.
ing machinery such as no other
country uses. His farming requires
a higher degree of skill on the part
of the laborer, or the man who
actually does the work, than in
any other country in the world,
and this brings us right up to the
proposition that we have been ar
guing for some time. In order to
get this labor necessary in the
house and on the farm, there must
be a check to the immigration of
labor from these great central
states. In other words, the farm
population, which alone can fur
nish the skilled labor, must be
kept on the farm instead of go
ing to distant sections and to the
cities. We can in time, as England
did In half century, bring up our
yield of wheat from IA bushels to
30. We can bring up our yield of
corn from 25 to 40 bushels. but it
cannot be done without an in
creased supply of labor. Nor :an
1t be done with an increased sup
ply of labor without the more in
Itclligent cultivation on which Mr..
Hill insists. The proper solution of
the problem, therefore. so far as
the states in the Mississippi valley
are concerned, depends on whether
we can arrest the drift of popula
ton to the town and to other see
tons OF the country which prom
Use for the present greater oppor-
tunltles for success allace
Eorpoar