Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1910-01-21
The HIGH COST OF FOOD.

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It costs 81 80 on the average. ia
fiji the market basket when dozen
years ago it cost 81. In MANY arti-
Giles, as in meats, the price has
doubled and continues to rise.
Every wage and income has been
relatively reduced in purchasing
value by this change in the price Of
food, and investigations are in pro-
gress by the Department Of Agricul-
ture and. by several States, and are
about to be ordered by Congerss.
The foundation reason, however. is
that the farm has not kept up with
the factory, railroad and mine. For
forty years past, in all American
Industry of Of the farm, organiza-
ton and the cheapening of cost and
Of distribution have gone on upon a
prOdigiOus scale.
The blast furnace and factory. the
freight car and locomotive have
grown to four to eight-fold in size or |
power, or both. Distribution HIS
been made direct. The middleman
has, in many cases, been eliminated /
The factory has its own stores and
sells direct to consumer The cost
OF the unit consumed has been re-
duced as the size of the establish
ment turning out the article has
grown. Direct retailing TO millions G
has cut down that cost. j
The farmer has not gone through v
his change. The farmer uses more 0
machinery. He has improved pro- r,
'esses, like ensilage, which cheaper e.
odder for cattle. Far more intelli- sc
ence and knowledge exist in farms G
But farming has not in these W
nings kept pace with other indus c,
-ies. 1t has not been recognized OF
have other industries. and il is gu
OF likely to be. The average farm th
as grown smaller and not larger in sa
le past twenty years. Separate sci
yners increase. Great tracts in the de
est, over the semi arid region. once of
ed for ranch cattle, have been an
vided into farms. This is all well for
r the country at large, but it does to
It lessen the cost Of production. we
AS the land open to settlement tiol
creases farms have grown in value we
acre. Farm lands in the East ern
! heavily in value per acre from the
70 to 1897. They have not all nor
Overed, but all know of the rise bett
farm lands in this and adjoining us
ties. Labor has risen. This coun- ter
had over ninetenths of its popu- otbe
on at work on farms "a century NJ
. Farm workers to-day are only Con.
llrd of the whole. The share off Con,
he farm living on the food raised law
the farm has grown dispropor- pres.
ately. The transportation of Cour
n products costs less, bnt the and
Of retail distribution for milk who
), meat and groceries is as high ing il
ever, except as far as in large can
$ big stores have taken up the pay
ma
he result is that it costs more TO get a
food on the farm. The share Ills
)pulation off of the farm to be spnoi
has grown a sixth in twenty down
and the farm food is running II isr
In six years, 1908 to 1903 ed an,
number Of COWS, cattle. sheen nav n
swine has grown from 172. OOO- have
to $50, 100000 or 4 per cent him 8
latiOn has grown in these wears prove
$4,000, 900 to $4,000, 900. or donbt
or cent. Meat naturally rises in mr.,
is true of nearly all food pro- county
unless
only remedy is a cheaper eresses
let Of food, through improved value
ng. This is in progress. but think
recess is slow. Closely cult that bs
existing farm lands could and in,
E their products Philadel- less il !
iesS' especial