The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-29


tainly struck tile nail on tic head.
Decreased production of foodstuffs Isl
not an absolute term. and never will.
be. America is producing more wheat
to-day than 1T ever did. and the corn
crop now on the market Is the largest
on record; but proportionatoly both
are small. The trouble is not with the
amount produced, but with the number
of those who have to eat what is pro-
dnced. The number of those who buy
what the sarmer makes has grown so
rapidly during the last few years that
1t has outstripped the increase in what
has been grown. The effect Is pre-
cisely the same as IL the number of
consumers lad remained the same and
the number of producers had been re-
duced.
In the same way the increased pro-
duction of our agricultural lands has
come, not through any addition to the
farming forces of the nation, but
through improved methods. The num-
Der of men who make the greater crops
of to-day is in reality smaller than
the number who made the lesser crops
of yesterday, but the methods which
they are employing is better. This is
good as far as it goes. but the new
methods ARE more costly, and conse-
quently increase the prime cost OF
all food products. Not only must the
farmer put more fertilizer on his crops,
but he must give better wages TO the
men who tend the crops, and lie must
pay larger prices for all his agrcul-
tural implements. The result is an
inevitable rise in the price of all foods.
Mr. Wilson does not take much
stock in the idea that we can import
our food products more cheaply than
we can raise them. and hero again he
shows his good sense. The idea on it's
face is absurd. While reduction in the
tariff would greately reduce the cost of
meat and possibly of other foods for a
time, it is ridiculous to suppose that
we could permanently import wheat
and like commodities more cheapty
than we can grow them on the richest
soil in the world close to the home
markets
In the circumstances. return to
the soil, such as Mr.. Wilson and Mr..
Hill are preaching, is the only hope of
the country If we want to really reduce
the cost OF food products. More farm
ers and better farmers mean larger
crops and cheaper crops with cheaper
bread and cheaper potatoes for the
consumer. This does not in any way
involve loss to the farmers, as might
at first be supposed, for when the
American market is filled our farmers
still have the foreign markets open to
them, and if they farm on u large scale
| they can undersell any nation in the
world. These are simple truths from
/ Honest Jim Wilson, and they cannot
! be too often driven home TO the hearts
j of the people. They mean the imme-
/ diato solution of great problem. and
| they mean the permanent solution of
! d SUI! S4esilt1 pIODIelll.
! THE END OF THE OPERA WAR.
Oscar the irreprcssble has capitu-
lated. and the Lords of the Metro
/ poltan are rejoiced. Despite his bold
| front when he LETT for Europe, osten-
| sbly 10 get new singers for the Man
haitian, the bewnsSered impresario
had made terms of peace with his
rivals before his departure, and merely
went to Europe in order to be off the
sccno when the climax came. An
nouncing that he is glad and sorry"
Ilammerstein leaves the public to
draw it's own conclusions and seems
perfectly content with the 100000
which he received as an indemnity for
quitting the field.
This means, of course. that the
Metropolitan will be the only opera
company in New York during the com.
ing winter, and the only company
which can be looked to for the pre-
sentation of opera on an adequate
scale. There will be an end
to expensive rival productions, and
there Will be no more sensa-
tons imported at great cost" TO
draw the crowds from the iopposi-
| ton house. Except for the company
| in Chicago and the Boston company,
which are both allied with the Metro
politan. the house which overthrow
| Oscar will have practically no rivals
in the country.
| The result of this monopoly will not
be as disastrous as might be expected.
Instead of raising the price of an even
ins's entertainment for the music
! thirsty man, 1t may even lower the cost
4 Of a seat somewhere close to heaven in
! the great opera house.
Singers will be paid less, because it
Will simply be an alternative of singing
fer the metropolitan or of not sing
ing at all: new productions will be
| more cautiously staged, for there will
| he no Oscar down the way TO rival
| the metropolitan directors; everything