Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1911-08-19
ms EZRST CPO6 a.
R0LNZO& 81

not from the lack of opportunities or the discrm-
lnauon and Injustice apparently incident to our
present industrial system. While the problem of
the poor has always BEEN and doubtless will al
ways De, with us, that is no reason why we should
accept with complacency conditions which if
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 new interest to attempted
plantations of existing conditions and various the
cries are offered We told that the increase
IN the amount of gold production rather the
decrease in the cost of gold production, has low
cred its value, and, therefore, enlarged our meas
ure of value with consequent increase in the
cost of necessities well the luxuries of life
without a corresponding increase in wages and
salaries; that combinations and trusts have in
creased the price of their products arbitrarily
fixing the price of the raw material to the pro-
Queer and the price of the finished product 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
1t is unusual that general condition is to be
attributed to any cause. That all of these
influences are more or 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 proper relation between supply and de-
mand, is at once apparent A 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 bring about the in
crease IN the cost Oh living must necessarily fail
unless there is maintained proper relation be-
tween consumption and production. The fact that
IN 1909 the value of exports of food-stuffs de-
creased as compared with 1908, eighty-seven mill
lions of dollars while value of the food-stuffs
imported into the country increased thirty-seven
millions of dollars, making charge of hun
dred and twentyfour millions of dollars upon the
wrong side of our national ledger, shows that the
consumption of that which produce has been
increasing more than has the production.
To bring about correction of these conditions
it is apparent at that there be in
crease in production, and the question is how is
this to be accomplished. We must either use to
better advantage the soil that is already in Guilt
walton, cultivate that which is now uncutiyated
The truth is, 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 us The average production of wheat
in the Netherlands is "a bushels to the acre: in
England, 80; in Germany, IS; in France, 90 while
in the United States it is only IA The same dis
parity is found in fields of properly cultivated
compared with those not properly cultivated
In recent report it stated that ap-
proximately 40 per cent. of the soil that was cul
uvated was used in such way to decrease,
rather than increase, its productivity. The cor
rection of this condition of inadequate production
Cue to lack of scientific methods of cultivation
must from the agricultural department of
the United States and the agricultural colleges of
the different states. From these sources the farm
ers must get the scientific information which will
enable them to adopt 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
larger portion of population to engage in the
cultivation of the soil
Back to the soil' movement But how to make
it effective and successful is another and far
difficult problem Some time ago George AIDE. the