Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-08-08
SENATOR CAYLOR
 SPEAKS ON SOCIALISM
MEMBER OF WISCONSIN LEGJS. LATCRE DISCUSSED HIGH
 COST OF LIVING.
Says the Trusts Are Responsible and Points a Way To Remedy Pres.
 eht Conditions.

state leglSlature, spoke on the court house steps last night for the So- cialist Party.
 Either the Senator has an unusual attractive method of speaking, or else what he had to say was unusually interesting. At any rate the audience was reluctant to leave when he said that he was done.
 His subject had to do with the present political situation, and he did not seem to be at all particular where the chips hit. He dealt espec- ially with the high cos, of living, and gave review of the arguments presented by the committee of the United States Senate, appointed to invest gate the high ccs; of living.
 Senator Gaylord said that these trust magnates who sit in the Senate were trying to '.blame it all on the farmer" First, they say that the high cost of living is due to the fact that the price of farm land has ad- vanced greatly. But this is putting the cart before the horse, sa d the Senator. What has caused the rise in the price of farm lands is the possibility of making more money out of farm products, caused by the ln- crease in the prices of the products. ~"Naxt these foolish Senators say that there is an increased demand for food products, due to the increase in population, and to ncreaslH9 growth of the cities in propoTton, he continued. Senator Gaylord ad- mitted that there is an increase 0 population, amounting to 2l per cent: and that there is an increase more in proportion than that. But he showed from government reports that theer is more. food in the country than there has been ten years ago The cewn corp in 1909 amounted tc 3.61 bushels more per capita than in 1900: but corn meal thai coulc have been bought for a dollar ill 19ot cost $1.37 in 1909. Wheat increased 1S.45 bushels per capita in 1909 over the crop of 1900; but wheat flou: cost 19 per cert more when theft was more wheat Potatoes showed an increase of IS per cent in the to- tai crop, and an increase of 1.4f bushels per capita in 1909 over 1900; but the price of potatoes went UP 22.5 per cent
 "W:th more good food in the cour- try than ever in proportion of the pee pie, the prices charged the people for their food was higher than ever,e said the speaker. "Cattle and stock of all kinds increased, to the amount of Al per cent more head ill 1909 than in 1900; but every kinw of meat from beef steak to salt hog went ur to top notch prices.
 Then our smooth gentlemen lr the United State Senate tell us that another reason is, that there has been a sh'ftinog of population away from the land where food is produced into the cities where it is consumed That is true. So much so that lowa actually reduced the absolute num- Der of its farming population in tel years. But that means nothirg, when we learn that there were also forty million acres more land !n cultiva- tion for corn, wheat, oats, rye, bar ley and potatoes in 1909 than in 1900
 When it is asked how it is pos sible, with a smaller proportion o farm population, to increase the pro portion of farm land under cultiva- tion by 25 per cent, any farmer boy can give the answer. The production of 1000 pounds of seed cotton by hand labor would demand 223 hours of ia. bor; but with modern machinery it takes only 7S hours. IL requires 26- hours of hand labor to produce 16C bushels of oats; but win moderr machinery only 2S hours. Fifty bush els of wheat requires 160 hours of hand labor, with the old cradle and flaii; but only hours of labor witl modern farm mach nery; 300 bushels of potatoes require 247 hours of hand labor, but only s6 hours of machlns labor
 
 Ard that is the explanation of why capital can get larger returns out of farm lands why the farming popu- lation is shifting to the cities. and why the standard of farm labor should rise. But it does not expla n why the price of food should rise where there is more food than ever in the country.
 ''One of the favorite arguments O Jim Hill is also presented by these senators. They say that the fertility of the land has been reduced, and