The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1911-08-19
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FWZOES -

not from the lack of opportunities or the dscrfm.
nation and injustice apparently incident to our
present Industrial system While the problem OF
,he poor has always been, and doubtless will al
ways be, with us. that is no reason why we should
accept with complacency conditions which, II
not capable OF being completely reformed are,
at least capable OF considerable correction.
The Increase in the cost OF living in recent
years has given a interest to attempted
plantations OF existing conditions. and various the
ores are offered, We told that the increase
In the amount OF gold production or rather the
decrease In the cost of gold production. has low
cred Its value, and, therefore, enlarged our meas
ure OF value with a consequent increase in the
cost of necessities well the Injuries of life
without corresponding increase in wages and
salaries; that combinations and trusts have in
creased the price OF their products by arbitrarily
fixing the price of the material to the pro
ducer and the price of the finished product to the
consumer; that labor unions have increased the
cost of the necessaries of life by the increase
that they have brought about in wages; and
finally. the explanation is offered that supply has
not kept pace with demand; that consumption has
Increased more rapidly than has production.
It is unusual that general condition is to be
attributed to any one cause. That all OF these
influences are more less responsible for the
present conditions is probably true. That a per-
manent correction OF the tendency OF the price of
the necessities Of life to increase must be based
upon a proper relation between supply and de-
mand. Is at once apparent demand increas
ing out OF proportion to the available supply is
sufficient in and OF itself to increase in
prices And any correction OF the other conditions
which may have helped to bring about the In
crease In the cost OF living must necessarily fall
unless there Is maintained a proper relation be-
tween consumption and production. The fact that
In 1909 the value OF our exports OF ood-stuffs de-
creased. compared with 1908, eighty-seven mil
lions OF dollars while the value OF the food stufs
imported into the country increased thirty-seven
millions Of dollars. making a charge OF hun
dred and twenty-four millions OF dollars upon the
do of our 1a1p oh bat Ybo
consumption OF that which produce has been
increasing more than has the production.
To bring about a correction OF these conditions
1t is apparent at once that there must be an in
crease in production and the question is how Is
this to be accomplished We either use to
better advantage the soil that is already in cult
walton. or cultivate that which is uncutivated.
The truth is. we must do both Production In
this country compared with other countries.
shows that we are not using to the best advan-
tage the great resources with which nature has
endowed The average production OF wheat
In the Netherlands is "a bushels to the acre: In
England. 80: In Germany. 2s in France. 90 while
in the United States 1t is only IA. The dis
parity is found in fields Of corn properly cultivated
compared with those not properly cultivated
In recent report I. was stated that ap
proximately 40 per cent. of the soil that cu-
tivated used in such way to decrease
rather than Increase its productivity. The
rection of this condition of inadequate production
due to lack OF scientific methods OF cultivation
must come from the agricultural department of
the United States and the agricultural colleges Of
the different states. From these sources the farm
must get the scientific inform0ton which will
enable them to adopt not only effective methods
OF agriculture but effective methods for conserv-
ing the productivity of the soil The other
rection must be accomplished by inducing a
larger portion OF our population to engage in the
cultivation Of the soil
We can all agree to the adyisablity of tho
Back to the Soil" movement But how to make
It effective and successful is another and far
dinlcult problem Some time ago George Ade, the