The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1911-09-30

to keep prices from rising abnormally.
but that il will reduce prices he dos
not believe. For the reason that u
will tend to hold down prices from op-
pressive heights b. considers it timely.
1.-THE crops this year said Mr..
Roberts. fare disappointment to
those VINO hoped that the big 1910 yield
meant the beginning Of new period
of abundance. The cost OF food was
materially lower during the first six
months of this year than il was last
year. and encouraged the hope that the
back TO the tarm' movement WAS a
bout to give us lower living costs The
dry season has brought the yield OF all
grains considerably below last year.
and there are more mouths to ieed than
ever before. Meats and all kinds OF
food will inevitably move upward to-
ward. IL not to. last years figures.
II doubt II as people we have fully
grasped the significance of the fact
that the era of cheup tree lands Is gone
in this country. The census shows
that our population increased 81 per
cent between 1900 and.l9i0. while the
area in farms increased only AZ per
cent The acreage of cultivated land
makes better showing. for IL increas.
edl 5.2 per cent but even that is con-
siderably below the population rate.
Between 1890 and 1900 the percentage
was 10. and that was the first time it
fell below the population rate. save for
the decade which included the Civil
war. From 1880 to 1890 the area In
cultivation increased 20 per cent and
from 1870 to 1880, so per cent.
''But this Is per cent increase in the
area. of improved land cannot be coun-
ted as equal to the old average in pro-
ductiveness Much OF it is In the
semi arid region. The Eastern States,
and such states as Ohio, Indiana. Him
OILS and Iowa show no increase The
average yield per acre may be keptlup
by better culture, by undertakings,
irrigation and more labor We can en-
oruiousy increase the production of
food in this country. but so far it is at
higher cost and higher level of prices
has been necessary to induce 1t. You
can increase the speed of railway
train from thirty to sixty miles an
hour, but it costs more than twice AS
much.
THE gains in improved acreage are
in such states as North Dakota, ll2
per cent; Oklahoma, topper cent Tex
as. 80 per cent. etc, but where will
the new acreage OF the next ten years
be found. and OF the ten years.sfter
thatr Our population increased Ia. :
900, 600 from 1890 to 1900 and 10, 600.
O0o from 1900 to 1910. Notwithstand-
ing last years BIZ: crop stocks of grain
are low. The average value per acre
OF all the farming lands of the United
States, exclusive of buildings. increas-
ed los per cent in the ten years, or
more than an average of 10 per cent
per annum.
1.-THE fact is that large part of
the natural gains of industrial pro-
gress are being Offset by the increasing
cost of food and raw materials, and
the principal. factor in tnis is the
more complete occupation of the coun-
try We have been exploiting the ma
tural wealth of continent Food.
wool cotton, leather. lumber and a
long list of materials Of this class are
dearer because 1t is costing more to
produce them than heretofore. and
their cost enters into the cost of every
thing else. There is constant progress
in the arts of manufacture and in
transportation, but the higher cost OF
food, clothing and rent forces up wages
and with higher raw materials the
manufacturer finds his efforts TO re-
duce costs nullihed. As rule manu-
featured goods have not advanced as
much as the raw materials and wages
which enter into them.
1.-The situation is throwing fhe in.
dustral organization out of balance.
The wage earners press for more pay !.
after necessities are paid for there is
less with which to buy other things
and business is dull and profits are
smaller. Everybody is dissatisfied and
trying to recoup from someone else.
The real truth is that there is less to
divide we are not getting so much by
the bounty OF Nature as tew wears
ago; In the United States we have
made short turn into relative scarcity
and we hve been so important factor
In world production that all the world
Is affected.
In Iowa farm rents are higher this
fall. due TO the return movement OF
4 A