The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-26

maoe that William c. Brown, president of
the New York Central Railroad company,
mad resigned and was going back to his
iafn IN Iowa. For some years President
Brown has been giving careful study to
the problem whose answer will tell why
the cost Of food products has so greatly
increased in recent years. He has been
anxious, first of all, to know the cause
OF this increase SO that he may be ready
oy example and precept to point the
Way IN some measure to the remedy His
investigations have convinced him that
one of the causes, if not the chief cause,
OIL this increase in the cost of some of
the necessaries of life is due to the sur
render of the soil by those who used to
cultivate it SO that they might take up
Voeations In cities and, in addition to
that the disinclinaton of the younger
generation to make agriculture a voca-
ton
President Brown, therefore, established
great farms in New York state so that
ne might thereby teach a lesson of nten-
slNe farming, make a demonstration of
what reasonable profits may be expected
from that kind of soil cultivation and.
areas of uncultivated land in many parts
of the country east of the Mississippi,
and especially east of the Alleghenies,
which under wise tillage and with an
eye to the nearest and best markets,
would be able greatly to increase the
production of grain and meat and other
food. Upon his own farm in Iowa Pres
ident Brown expects, if the reports of
his purposes which his friends make is.
to demonstrate how esay it is
greatly to improve the quality and in
crease the quantity of the products of
the soil.
Elliott Gives Views
A few days after these two publica-
tions, one telling of the increased cost of
food and the other of the early return
of President Brown to the farm, were.
published the chief executive of the New
Haven railroad, system, Howard Elliott,
spoke to a great gathering at New Haven,
Conn. 1t was presumed before his address
was heard that it would be devoted en-
tirely to the relation of the New Haven
railroad system to the interests of the
people of connecticut. That impression
was correct. although Mr.. Elliott argued
from a somewhat different premise than
any of his hearers probably had thought
he would employ. He is in perfect SYM
pathy with President Brown, with Pres
lutIll IT lilcN VI LIE OOuIlltIl With
President Rea of the Pennsylvania and
with other chief executives of the great
railroad systems of the United States re-
specting the increase in the cost of food.
All are convinced that the chief cause
of this increased cost is to be found in
the determination of SO many of the
people either to quit or to ignore the farm
and to encourage in masses in the great
industrial and manufacturing commune
ties
President Finley is quoted as having
said to his friends that there is unculti
waited land enough in the gulf states of
the south to furnish under cultivation
all the food the people of the United
States need, excepting. of course, that
which is produced in tropical countries.
Mr.. Elliott told his 500 listeners at New
Haven, men who a whole represent
the industrial and commercial interests
of that state, that the little state of
Connecticut. which has an area of only
5000 square miles. would be able, were
its uncultivated lands developed to ag
Ticulture and were it's cultivated lands
compelled by wise, intensive methods, to
yield what they could yield, to feed the
whole population of the state. 1t used
to be an agricultural community chiefly.
There is no state in the union, and prob
ably very few districts in the Dominion
of Canada, which produce wheat of such
high quality as the state of Connecticut.
But. of course, the raising of wheat in
that state upon any large scale would
be commercially impracticable. There
could not be successful competition with
the great wheat belts of the west or with
the immense wheat areas of Canada But
wheat enough might be raised each year
to feed a considerable part of the pop
ulation
Formerly Agricultural State
Before water power was highly devel-
oped in the state and manufacturing es-