The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-11-16

roads as well as the public-this ques
ton is no longer open for debate
Continuing. he said in part:
The question of the limitation of the
right Of regulation, the extent to which
1t should be exercised. is still open for
discussion-not in harsh or hostile spir-
1t, not for the purpose of fixing by law
an arbitrary point beyond which such
regulation shall not so. but in spirit of
friendly cooperation to try to ascer-
tain In the interest alike of the public and
the railroads that happy mean which
shall result in the maximum benefit TO the
patrons of the railroads and the minimum
embarrassment in the way OF restrictive
regulation to the railroads of the nation
From the dawn of civilization the drift
Of population has been from the east TO
the west, and through all the centuries
absorbing and assimilating the millions of
the overflow of older civilizations, the
west has continually called for more
From early in the seventeenth century
the nations of the old world have found
on this continent an imperatively neces-
sary vent. safety valve. The broad
prairies of the United States have beck
oned to the discontinued. the dispossessed
and unfortunate of every race and CLINE.
and there they have found a foundation
upon which to build new hopes and aspi
rations Great states and territories, with
their wealth of primeval forest and virgin
soil. lay waiting to be peopled. Today all
this Is changed. The day of free land
for free men, is past. No longer can the
homestead be had for the asking. The
last county of the last state or territory
where cultivation is possible has been set
tied.
Need of Greater Food Production.
For half century we nave proudly
plumed ourselves as the granary of the
world. and our annual exports of food
stuffs have formed the basis for a large
balance of trade in our favor. Our ex
ports of this character show steady anC
alarmingly rapid decline In the past in
crease in population increase in consump
ton. have been met by multiplied acres
This is no longer possible or at least only
to very limited and constantly diminish
ing extent. Increased consumption in the
future must be provided for not by an
increase in acres but by an increase il
the yield per acre. Each year immigra
ton and natural increase add approxi-
mately 100000 hungry mouths to be fed
and 1t calls for an increase of approx
mately 75.0 900 bushels of food producing
cereal per annum to supply this demand
If the converging lines of production
and consumption in the United States
continue to approach each other as they
have during the past ten years, long be-
fore the end of the present decade the
last vessel loaded with the agricultural
product of this country will have left our
shores. the great exporting grain ee-
vators In our seaboard cities will stand
empty and this great nation. like those
Of the old world. will be looking for a
place to buy the necessares of life.
Can the Importance of this condition be
exaggerated? Is it not time that every
a4f1k4 nfAA
the cause and find and apply the remedy?
Can there be duty of higher or broader
patriotism or more comprehensive philan-
thropy? What is the cause. and can a
remedy be found?
The land. our kindly, patient Mother
Earth. upon which not only prosperity,
but life itself. depends. is year after year
being robbed and impoverished. Our av-
erage annual yield of wheat for ten years
was less than fourteen bushels per acre.
This is less than 1t was thirty years ago.
Instead of improving we are going back
ward.
Builder Up of the Nation.
The farmer has always been the state
builder. the pioneer. He IL is who has
built up and made the nation what 1t is,
and the general government can discharge
the obligation 1t owes the great agricul-
tural interests in no better way than in
spending money freely IN Dettef1nS aSrl-
cultural conditions
France. with her Astounding prosperity,
her marvellous wealth of agricultural re-
sources. which have made her the cred
itor nation of the world. maintains 5000
rural schools with agricultural depart
ments In the shape of gardens and small
fields where systematic scientific cultiva-
ton ami conservation of the soil IL
taught.
Since 1873 Belgium has required every
school in the kingdom to maintain a field
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