St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-01-04
PRESS COMMENT.
Another Farm 'sUpIift'' Moveme

Railroad presidents, merchants
and other persons comfortably lodg-
ed in large cities have organized
what is called the agricultural i'm
provement association of New York
| state. It's purpose will be to influence
| movement from the congested
cities and among immigrants to the
deserted farm lands of New York
state which are said to be of con-
siderable area and obtainable at low
prices compared with middle western
farm lands. The association may
even go so far as TO acquire farms
and coloniZe them. Among the in
corporators are the presidents of
the New York Central and Long Is
land railroads, the presidents of the
New York produce exchange and
Utica chamber of commerce, and
others of similar prominence.
This is all very well. These back
to-the-farm agitations and organi-
cations do no harm and may doubt
| less do some good. The question,
however, is an economic one and
will be settled in an economic way
and not by passing resolutions in
some city meeting place. Like most
| movements Of the kind, this one
| starts with wrong assumptions. Pre-
| ceding resolution outlining the
plans of the association are several
whereases, among which the follow
| ing:-
Whereas, The increasing prices of
| food products are largely due to the
unequal distribution of our popula
| ton as between cities and farms:
and,
Whereas, The correct solution of
| the problem thus presented is i'm
perative for our present and future
well-being: and,
Whereas, There is widespread
desire among the citizens of the
state of New York to assist the con-
stituted officials, national as we'll
as state, in their efforts to increase
| the productivity of our farm lands:
and,
Whereas, A more serious cause of
the diminishing supply of foodstuffs
| in proportion to the increasing de-
mand is the general lack of in
terest in agricultural pursuits and
the scarcity of farm labor.
Here are statements as of accept
| ed fact which are mere propositions
| remaining to be proved.
Is there diminishing supply of
| food-stuffs relative to demand? On
| the contrary, the United States agri-
cultural departments per capita
statistics of farm production show
| no general decline in relative farm
| production. Is it true that the in
creasing prices of food products, as
| during the past 10 years, are due
as? If so, then how explain the very
| low prices of food products during
most of the decade from 1890 to
| 1900, when the movement of popula-
| ton from farm to city was almost
or quite as noticeably under way as
| in the past decade?
! Rev. DR.. Josiah Strong of New
York, we'll known as sociologist, is
calling attention to the forgotten
| finding of a government. commission
| of some years ago that through the
| development of agricultural machi-
merry as applied to western and to
| much eastern farm land four men
| can now do work which formerly re-
| quired the services of IA men. The
Portland Oregonian recently called
attention to a farm county in
| Washington state whose agricultural
production has greatly increased in
recent years while its population has
actually diminished. Such a move
| ment as this in New York state re-
| presents an attempt like unto that of
forcing back upon the farm IA men
where the work can now be done by
| four.
1t is well to talk up in the cities,
the attractiveness of farm life and
all that. But any actual or unnat-
ura1 dislocation in population be-
tween country and city is to be &C
credited to artificial economic and not
to sentimental causes, and is to be
corrected by correction of the
| underlying economic conditions.
Give the farmer, for example, as free
a market to buy in as he provides
the city to buy in for it's food. The
problem, in so far as there is one,
will speedily correct itself under con-
ditions of substantial equality in
economic conditions between farm
and city industry.-[Sp Springfield
Republican.