Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-04

reliab probably. as any that are OBJ
tainabIe certainly indicate a condition
In our meat supply which. If it had con-
tinued up to the present time, Is of
startling significance. But what was
true of the meat supply of the country
was substantially true of all the rest or
the farm products. with perhaps TWO OF
three exceptions Notable among these
exceptions are rice, comparatively httie
being cultivated in 1880. and barley. put
little being used for food. the production
period under consideration about IT, per
cent
During the twenty years the acreage
of corn increased only :s3Ia per cent the
acreage of wheat only IL S-1". the acre
age of buckwheat actually decreased 2.ls
per cent. and the acreage OF potatoes IN
creased Al per cent.
I'm spite OF the fact that during these
twenty years billions of acres of the pub
lie domain were taken up as hornesteads
the cultivated acreage of all the farm
lands of the country increased during
these twenty years only ASH per cent. and
the average yield per acre OF most or the
cultivated lands decreased. so that Ger
many today produces substantially twice
as much wheat to the acre as wo do and
Belgium two and a half times as much,
What is true of these twenty years Is
substantially true of the period since the
last federal census The population is
estimated to have increased about 70
per cent, but with this increase IN popu-
lation the acreage of neither corn. wheat
oats potatoes has kept pace. according
to calculations made by the bureau OF
statistics.
What Is the Answer
What are We going to do about 1t?
n is no longer a question OF the pros
perity of the farmer.
'.Any man who has owned a decent farm
for the last five years. and has not made
money upon 1t. would seem to have no
body to blame but himself 1t is not in
behalf of the farmers that j plead as so
much in behalf of the man who works Tor
wages the man who makes from $6 to 81
a week and has family to support. the
man who buys less cornmeal today for ~
cents than he bought FIVE years ago Tor
10 cents the man who has to pay 20 cents
a pound today for bacon for his breakfast
or beef for his dinner. or generally has 10
do without.
What are we going to do about ii =?
Nothing radical But that there are
things We may do and ought to do seems
apparent The tide of immigration is
coming backward Lands are cheaper
according to their actual value in New
York than they are in Illinois. Iowa and
Nebraska The old land of the eastern
states can and must be made more pro-
ductive The whole question resolved it
self into the problem of keeping enter
prising. intelligent and progressive men
and women in the country and on the
farms.
Claims of Others.
Those in the House who are pro-
foundry interested I'm this question and
who believe that battleships and coast
defence and increased ornaments and all
the pomp and planopy of glorious war
tJor fha
and meat that feed the men who toll
turn to the committee agriculture and
ask the members of that committee to
stand firm and to demand money for
these IMPOSES with both hands.
- r. the appropriation committee and
the committees military and naval
affairs and all the other committees of
the House dealing with appropriations
understand that if the committee on ag-
riculture comes into the House seeking
very greatly increased appropriations for
administrative and experimental road
work all over the country. for the I'M
provement of the post roads OF the
country; If they come asking for expert
ment stations and government farms and
instructors in every congressional dis
trfct; IL they come asking increased APP
preparations for education strictly along
agricultural lines: If they come with any
intelligent plan by which country and
farm life can be made more attractive
to enterprsing, intelligent men and wom-
HANGED and the food supply of the coun-
try INCREASED. they will meet with the
hearty appreciation and be sustained by
the overwhelming majority Of the
House.
Mr.. Douglas then discussed the cost Of
prepar atoms for war and of payments
for wars of years ago. He concluded
with the following statement
We have expended this fiscal year on
account OF preparation for war Al per
of wars past 81 per cent OF all our rev.
enues-a total of Y per cent on this one
subject.
Daily Bread and Meat.
Last year Congress appropriated to
the army and navy and military pensions
the total of 1855. 100000. or 67,s per cent
of our total revenue. and we appropriated
TO our great Department of Agriculture
s13.OOO,OOO or about per cent of our
revenues | submit that the daily bread
and meat of the men and women who toll
are at least as important as coast de-
lenses and battleships. Let no one inn
agine that this is but an appeal to the
voters of my district or of any district
of any state.
so far as it is an appeal. it is to our
committee on agriculture. that they de-
nand greater share of the public reve-
nues to he spent in an earnest, wide
spread and generous effort to improve
conditions so justly alarming; an appeal
to this House to see to 1t that It has some
real and potent influence in determining
the relative importance of the various
objects to which we shall make appro-
prations and to demand. If need be, by
struggle all along the line. that enough
snail be left when other objects are
provided for to inaugurate upon new
scale of generosity and true statesman
ship new crusade against the further
impoverishment of our soil. against the
further impairment against our natural
resources. against the steady increase in
the price of the necessities of life