The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1911-08-18
rs I0T cpQo az
R2LTTOES %


not from the lack of opportunities or the dscrim
nation and injustice apparently incident to our
present industrial system. While the problem OF
the 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,
al 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 are 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 Z consequent increase in the
cost of necessities as we'll as the luxuries Of life
without a 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 raw material 10 the pro-
Queer and the price Of the finished product 10 the
consumer; that labor unions have increased the
cost of the necesS2ries Of LIE 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.
II is unusual that general condition is 10 be
attributed 70 any one 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
upon proper relation between supply and de-
mand. is at once apparent A demand increas
ing out OF proportion 10 the available supply is
sufficient in and Of itself TO cause an increase in
prices And any correction OF the other conditions
which may have helped 10 bring about the in
crease in the cost Of living must necessarily fail
unless there IS maintained proper relation be-
tween consumption and production. The fact that
IN 1909 the value OF our exports of food-stufS de-
creased. IS compared with i90S, eighty-seven mil
lions OF dollars while the value OF the foodstu1s
imported into the country increased thirty-seven
millions OF dollars. making q charge OF one hun
drei and tweuty-fOu7 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
il is apparent at once that there must be an in
crease in production. AMI the question is how IS
this TO be accomplished We must either use 20
better advantage the soil that is already in cult
Walton or cultivate that which is now uncultyated
The truth is must do both. Production in
this country, as compared with other countries,
shows that We are not using 10 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. Is: in France, 20, while
in the United States it is only Il. The same dis
parity is found in fields OF corn properly cultivated
compared with those not properly cultivated.
In q recent report /. was stated that ap-
proNimately 40 per cent OF the soil that was cul-
uvated was used in such way as 70 decrease,
rather than increase, its productivity. The cor
rection OF this condition OF inadequate production
due TO lack OF scientific methods OF cultivation.
must come from the agricultural department o.
the United States and the agricultural colleges Of
the different states From these sources the farm
ers mus, 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 q
larger portion Of population 10 engage in the
cultivation Of the soil
We can all agree TO the ACCESSIBILITY of the
Back TO the Soil" movement. But how 10 make
It effective and successful is another and far mory
difficult problem. Some time ago George AIDE tht