Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-02-05

n..s,dent Roosevelt, in his special
fle9,a ,o transmitting to congress the
messaeof of The Country Life commission
rePorSs attention to the fact that i
caroh nntrc life was to become what I
eound eu,,,d he zone Of the most dignified
snoulJb snoobie and sought-after ways Of
aeSltno an,nc living, the farmer must take
esln,Ie eanteee not only of the agricultural
ausSIidI aun,iedee which is at his disposal
Sno"tf'tbH " tbe methods which have raised
pus uS =, continue to raise the standards
asI living and of intelligence in Other
canIaosident Roosevelt directed atten-
~ the fact that in other callings
tlVS Sod heen found necessary to organ
y % for mutual advantage, and said
nTha lIS farmers of every progressive
rlronaan lno country have realized this
L.aontial Lu,U fact and have found in the
Soo0onerative system exactly the form
~ business combination they need
W ~ declared that "the introduction OF
aTective agricultural cooperation
.hrongbout the United States is Of the
srst importance, and that 1t would
% nIoce the farmers on a level with the
pprsanized interests with which they
do business.
The whole world is anxiously study
,ng the problems presented by the
nresent e high cost of living.
political issues have arisen in many
Countries because of the universal high
nrices for the necessities Of life.
The greatest political and social
economists in the world have been
Giving earnest thought to the solution
n these grave problems.
In the business and financial world,
the situation has caused real appre-
hension. Note what one Of the most
conservative editors in Wall Street
SAYS Of it:
High Prices and Unrest.
The high cost of living is creating
great unrest in many countries. Con-
dltlops are becoming especially grave
IN Germany, Austria-Hungary and
France. German officials are becom-
Ing very anxious for the coming win
ter and especially for the election of
the new reichstag which will occur in
January. Judging from the by-elec-
tons recently held, the socialists and
radicals will carry everything before
them.
A wireless message to the New York
Times of October 20, says that a vast
portion Of the population of Germany
Is hungry and that food, already SELL
lng at unheard of prices, is growing
more and more difficult to obtain.
Mass meetings are held to ask for the
repeal of duties on food stuffs. Mu-
inequalities are establishing fish de-
pots and railroads are remittlng part
Of their rates on food stuffs. In some
instances companies and large firms,
and even the government itself. have
met the increased requirement of liv-
ing granting their employees bonuses
in the shape Of half months extra
salary
Similar conditions exist in most 9TH
er countries Of Europe as well as in
our own country. Because of the
drought of last summer, that prevailed
in this and most European countries,
there is great shortage of vegetable
and forage crops and food stuffs are
higher than ever before and are ex-
pected to advance much before next
spring,
II has become evident that there Is a
great disparity between the prices re-
ceved by the producers and those paid
by consumers This means that there
are too many middle-men' too many
grOcers, butchers, druggists, etc. Too
many live in cities and are living with
out returning full value to society.
The high cost of living is likely to
hasten the evolutionary change in the
distribution of products that, appar-
emily has been long delayed - We
see no change OF improved industrial
conditions until the prices of foods
decline.
Cooperation Is the Remedy.
High authorities, from President
TAFT down, have said that to make the
cost OF living less burdensome the
consumer and producer must be
brought closer together.
Elimination of the middlemen and
cooperation among both producers
and consumers have been suggested
as ways to the end of economical liv-
Ing.
In England, the consumers have
banded together in great cooperative
organizations which procure supplies
IN large quantities, manufacturing
many Of them, and retail them to
members of the organizations at re-
oaced cost, declaring dividends
rom the Profits to the stockholders or
members In both Europe and Ameri-
ca there are cooperative organiza-
IONS among the producers to secure
.ae more economical marketing Of
their produce.
The assistant secretary Of agricul-
.are, Hon. Willett M. Hays, is an en-
lhuslastic believer In cooperation