The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-05-06

| farming iandS IN Iowa, exclusive O
buildings, increased in value between
1910 and 1910 by 122 per cent, on al
average of more than 10 per cent pc
annum. And even that is not so re
markable as that the average valu,
per acre of all the farm lands In tn,
: United States increased los per cent
The population OF cities and towns
between the two censuses increased
IS per cent while the rural population
increased II per cent.
The acreage of wheat was actually
Is per cent less as shown by the las,
/ census than 10 years before. and the
acreage in corn. our chief meat-pro
ducing grain, was only 81 per cen,
greater, fact that is the more signifi
cant because the corn crop of the
United States is IS per cent of the
worlds crop. The number of cattle
sheep and swine barely held its own
during the ten years while population
was increasing q per cent
Is it any wonder that food costs
more? And the same conditions that
have affected food supplies have af-
| fected cotton. wool and hides, which
/, are the materials for clothing: and
when food and clothing and shelter
cost more. wages must inevitably go
up. And when wages and raw mater
ials go up manufacturing costs and
costs of doing every kind of business
must go up also, save as improved
methods of production and distribu-
ton may counterfeit the tendency.
/ And that, in fact. is what is occur
ring. The price tables show that
manufactured goods have advanced
less than the raw materials and
wages that enter into them.
No Occasion for Alarm.
Now am not an alarmist or pessi-
mist. | think the Malthusian doctrine,
like somebody's doctrine for the recall
Of judicial opinions. has been sub
jected to so many explanations and
qualifications that there is hardly
enough left of it to take into account
But do believe that since about 1896
We have turned a corner into relative
scarcity, and that our industrial sys-
tenn for the time being at least has
been thrown out of balance. The in
comes OF wage-earners and salaried
people do not reach as far as former.
~ and they naturally press for more
pay; employers find profits diminish
ing and they refuse the demands or
grant them in part only. They are
all under pressure and reaching out
to recoup themselves somewhere
There is unrest ana discomfort every.
where due to the feeling that condi
tions are hard and that somebody la
TO blame. The fact is that as a people
we are not getting SO much for moth
ing as we did few years ago. And
! think that only thefac that We are
a great agricultural people and thar
the prosperity Of the farmers has
quickly reacted to other Glasses has
prevented our feeling it more than
we have. As it is considerable share
of the natural gains of industrial
progress have been offset by the ris-
ing costs of raw products.
No doubt we shall adjust ourselves
to the new conditions, but it is i'm
portant that We look these conditions
in the face. We shall be more patient
and reasonable and the adjustment
VIII be more speedily and peaceably
made Our civilization depends as
We believe upon the maintenance OF
present standards of living and our
people are impatient unless they
make progress And yet all the things
that minister to our physical wants
are certain to. cost more in the future
unless we gain enough in individual
efficiency and by new processes of
to offset this tendency to
scarcity in land and natural products.