The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1911-09-09
MS ERT CQQ0 az
HZA70& p


not from the lack of onnortnn,t;. or IN. a,sor,r,
nation and injustice apparently incident to orr
present industrial system While the problem of
.ne poor mas always BEEN and doubtless will al
ways De, with us. that Is no reason why we should
accept with complacency conditions which. IL
~ aVt oapaole OF beings completely reformed, are
at least, capable of considerable correction.
The increase in the cost of living in recent
years has given new interest to attempted ex
plantations OF existing conditions and various the
cries are offered. We are told that the increase
IN the amount OF gold production, or rather the
decrease In the cost of gold production, has low
ered It's value, and, therefore enlarged our meas
ure OF value, with a consequent increase in tho
cost OF necessities as well as 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
n4lng the price OF the raw material to the pro-
queer and the price Of the finished product to the
consumer; that labor unions have Increased the
cost OF the necessares of life by the increase
that they have brought about in wages: and
nnally, the explanation is offered that supply has
not kept pace with demand; that consumption has
increased more rapidly than has production.
1t is unusual that a general condition IA To be
attributed to any one cause That all of these
influences are more less responsible for the
present conditions is probably true That 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 increaa-
ing out OF proportion to the available supply ia
sufficient in and of itself to cause an 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 fail
unless there is maintained proper relation he
tween consumption and production. The fact that
IN 1913 the value of exports of food-stufrs de-
creased, as compared with 1908. eightyseyen mill
lions OF dollars while the value of the food stus
imported into the country increased thirtyseven
millions OF dollars making charge of one him.
dred and twentyfour millions of dollars upon the
wrong SIDE OF our national ledger, shows that the
consumption OF that which We produce has been
increasing more than has the production.
To bring about correction Of these conditions
II is apparent at once that there must be an In
crease In production, and the question is how ia
TINS to be accomplished We must either use to
better advantage the soil that is already in cuti
walton, or cultivate that which is now uncultvated
Inc truth is. We must do both Production in
THIS country, as compared with other countries
SHOWS that we are not using to the best advan.
tage the great resources with which nature has
endowed us. The average production of wheat
IN the Netherlands is 81 bushels to the acre: IN
england, 81; IN Germany, 2S; in France 20. while
In the United States 1t is only H. The same dis
parity is found in fields of corn rroperlv cnIt,vat.a
compared with those not properly cultivated.
In recent report II was stated that an
proxlmately 40 per cent of the soil that was cuI
uvated was used In such way as to decrease
rather than Increase. its productivity The cor.
recton OF this condition of inadequate production
que TO lack OF scientific methods of cultivation
must come from the agricultural department Of
.ne United States and the agricultural colleges of
tne Inherent states From these sources the farm
ers must get the scientific information 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 cor
rection must be accomplished by inducing a
larger portion OF our population to engage In the
Of the soil
We can all agree as to the adyisability Of the
Back to the Soil" movement But how to male
i effective and successful is another and far mors
ainculf prnsiem Same time ago George AIDE. the