The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-11-21
FARM NEGLECT
NATIONS MENACE
Not II Per Cent Arc Yielding
Maximum Returns.
SO FOOD SUPPLY is SHORT.

Secretary of Agriculture Houston Ad-
dressing National Grange Sounds
Warnins--sees Little Logic In Farm
Credit sehemes-calls Waste and
Middlemen Foes of Prosperity.
In recent address to the national
| grange at Manchester, N. H., Secre-
tary Houston Of the department of ag-
| riculture said that one reason for the
disturbed economic conditions in this
| country was the fact that less than 40
| per cent of the cultivated land was
reasonably well cultivated and less
than II per cent was yielding maxi
mum returns
1--WE had better frankly face the fact
that we are relatively inefficient" said
| he, take stock Of our shortcomings
and earnestly seek the remedy. That
we have practically reached the stage
where we have ceased to be an ex-
porting nation of food products and
! are becoming dependent on foreign ma
tons for the necessaries of life is
sad commentary on our use of the op-
portunities bestowed upon u.s."
From every section of the country,
he said, came the story of increasing
tenancy and absentee ownership, of
soil depleted and exploited, of made
quate business methods, of chaotic mar
keting and distribution, of inferior
roads, of lack of supervision of public
health and sanitation, of isolated and
i'll organized social activities and Of in
ferior intellectual provision"
Hopes For Better Conditions.
He added, however, that he was not
pesslmist and expressed the belief
that out Of the chaos would come or
der better and bigger crops, improved
living conditions in the country and
relief of the city dweler through
greater productivity of the soil and a
businesslike overhauling of marketing
methods.
II am not impressed" he said, with
the wisdom and justice of proposals
that would take the money of all the
people through bonds or other devices
and lend it to the farmers or to any
other class at rate Of interest lower
than the economic conditions would
normally require and at a rate of in
terest lower than that at which other
classes are securing their capital. This
would be Legislation of a particularly
odious type and no new excursions in
this direction would be palatable when
we are engaged in the gigantic task of
restoring the simple rule of equity"
The approach to the problem of the
organization of rural life, he said. was
clearly economic. The great need was
to give the rural population at least
approximately the primary advantages
which the town enjoyed.
81 do not entertain the thought for q
second that we have approximated the
limit of our output from the soil" said
Mr.. Houston. 1--WE have not even
reached the end OF the pioneering stage.
We have been so bent on building up
great Industrial centers by every natu-
raj and artificial device that we have
had little time to think of the very
foundation of our Industrial exist
ence."
Living Cost Problem.
Speaking Of what the agricultural de-
partment hoped to do to solve the prob
lem of the increasing cost of living,
Secretary Houston said;
"rhe existing chaos and consequent
wastes result from faults on the part
OF the farmer in the growing and han
ding of his products, from the ma
chinery OF distribution, including phys
ical equipment and physical handling;
from the manipulation of those middle
men who perform no useful and nee
essary service and from ignorance on
the part Of the consumer and of the
producer OF the character OF the prod
net which Is placed upon the market"
In the field OF marketing. he said,
there was danger that pressure would
be brought to bear to force the depart
ment to act everywhere before II was
lntelllgently prepared to act anywhere.
He explained that his department,
which started last summer to make n
careful study OF the marketing prob
lem, was studying 1t from every angle.