Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-08-18
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not from the lack of opDortunjties or the discrim-
anatlon and injustice apparently incident to our
present industrial system. While the problem Of
he poor mas always been, and doubtless will al
ways be, 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 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, rather the
decrease in the cost of gold production, has low
cred its value, and, therefore, enlarged meas
ure OF value, with consequent increase in the
cost of necessities well the luxuries of life
without corresponding increase in wages and
salaries; that combinations and trusts have in
creased the price Of their products by arbitrarily
hxing the price of the material to the pro-
ducer and the price of the finished product to 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 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
@ahe necessities of life to increase must be based
upon a proper relation between supply and de-
Inand, is at once apparent. demand increas-
ing out of proportion to the available supply is
sufficient in and of itself to cause an increase in
prices. And 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 a proper relation be-
tween consumption and production. The fact that
in 1909 the value of exports of foodstufs de-
creased compared with 1908, eighty-seven mil
Hons OF dollars while the value of the food-stufs
imported into the country increased thirty-seven
millions Of dollars, making charge of one hun
dred and twenty-four millions of dollars upon the
wrong side of our national ledger shows that the
consumption. of that which produce has been
Increasing than has the production.
To bring about correction of these conditions
1t is apparent at once that there must be an 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 cult
walton, or cultivate that which is uncultvated
The truth is, must do both. Production in
this country, compared with other countries
shows that we are not using to the best advan
Sage the great resources with which nature has
endowed u.s. The average production Of wheat
In the Netherlands is "a bushels to the acre. in
England, 80; in Germany 2S; in France, 20, while
in the United States it is only IA The same dis
parity is found in fields of corn properly cultivated
compared with those not properly cultivated.
In recent report it stated that ap-
proximately 40 per cent of the soil that was Gull
tivated used in such way as to decrease,
rather than increase, its productivity. The cor
Secton Of this condition Of inadequate production,
due to lack of scientific methods of cultivation,
must come from the agricultural department Of
the United States and the agricultural colleges Of
the different states. From these sources the farm
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
larger portion of population to engage in the
cultivation of the soil
We can all agree as to the advisability of the
Back to the Soil' movement But how to make
1t effective and successful is another and far
difficult problem. Some time ago George AIDE, the