Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-08-15
MAKING THE LAND PAY uIGII
LIVING COST.

The National city bank uf New
York has made most interesting
contribution to the literature which,
has been Issued bearing upon the
reasons Tor the high cost OF living.
az follows.
II IL difficult 90 understand wtyI
so much mystery should bee made over
the rising cost OF living Ia view oil
the revelations Of the last census.
There has never been In the his
tory Of tho world n parallel 60 the
rapid settlement Of the United states
Nowhere else has there been such
vast area Of fertile lands. with an
admirable climate. situated upon pan.
allel lines Of latitude with Europe and
offering equal facilities and induce
ments for migration from there. Cap
iml came readily Co build rallroaGl
and population followed In to find
homes. The result was development
which mad the United states the
most important factor In the world =
markets for food ana raw materials
No farther back than 1850 we were
an essentially rural people. with most
of our population dependent directly
upon agriculture. Including all towns
of less than $500 In the rural classi.
.ficutlon, the distribution Of our popu-
ation, as shown by the last four cen
suscs, has been 0s follows
1919 1900. 1890. 1850.
Urban ....... 4G.3 IO.5 2G.I 20 q
Rural ....... 53.7 500 G39 IO.5I
As a purycyor Of food supplies 10
the important countries OF Europe
We are a steadily diminishing factor.
and the result is seen IN the rise of
prices there. While the population otl
this country increased "a per cent be-
tween the last two censusos the ag
gregate acreage OF all the cereal
crops increased only 80 per cent auc
the actual yield Ia 1909 was but nc
per cent greater than In 1899. The
country produced $50 bushels of the
cereals corn, wheat. oats. barley. rye.
buckwhcat kaffir corn. cmmcr and
.rico) per head OF population in 1893,
ana only AL bushels IN 1903. Corn
Is the chief next producing crop, and
the corn crop Of the United states II
70 per cent OF the corn crop Of the
world The acreage In 1909 was but
81 per cent greater than the acreage
~ 1889, ana the Yield was actually
less
These are facts OF very great sig
nificancc. Population has spread over
tho United states the free and cheap
lands are gone, and there f. mo- other
equal area on tho face of the globe
comparable In pruductiyoncss ANA ma
tionnl wealth 10 the United states re-
naming Co Dee exploited
The demands for land and the rise
In price of farm products have caused
an astonishing advance In lana values
The census shows that between 1900
ana 1870 the average value per acre
of all the f,rmn In the United states
exclusive Of buildings, Increased los
per cent or more than 20 per cent
per auuum for that period. Much UasI
said two years ago about the dan.
gers of the land boom boo the west. AsI
q result OF the warning ana % the
attitude ot bankers toward speculative o.
loans. the fewer OF speculation has
subsidized, but ull reports are To- the
effect that there has been no recess
sion in selling prices, uut continual.
advance.
The situation has its grave features.
for while the rhausc which has come
over the farmer. and particularly the.
farm owner is ID very agreeable one
to him, and perhaps tor tie present
generation gives only just rgrompeusc
Tor hardships In the past we cannot
look upon tho relatively diminishing
supplies with other than apprehension.
ln an of the arts of manufacture and
pa facilities for transportation We
make constant progress ana an, b,uc-
tits of that progress are quickly
shared by ail But % Is enthusiastically
true that 500 recent wears consider
/ able share OF the natural gains of iu.
dustrial progress have been offset by
tho higher coWs Tor food, clothing
ana raw materials, A pau of thu
higher prices goes 10 the fortunate
possessors OF land. timber ANA other
natural resources. but part is cx.