The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1914-12-04

oy pstsr Radford
Lecturer National Farmers Union
| The economic distribution OF farm
products u today the worlds greatest
| problem and the war. while II has
brought its hardships. has clearly en-
phasissd the importance OF distribu-
ton - . factor In American agricul-
turs and promises to give the farm
ere the cooperation OF the govern
ment and the business men the
solution OF their marketing problem.
This result will. In . measure. COM
pensate IN for our war losses. for the
business interests and government
have been IN the main assisting al
most exclusively on the production
side OF agriculture. While the depart
ment OF agriculture has been dumping
tons Of literature on the farmer telling
him how to produce. the farmer has
been dumping tons OF products In the
nations garbage can for want Of .
| market
The World VIII Never etarvs.
AZ no time since Adam and Eve
were driven from the Garden Of Eden
have the Inhabitants OF this world
suffered from lack OF production. but
some people have gone hungry from
the day OF creation to this good hour
for the lack OF proper distribution.
Slight variations In production have
forced . change In diet and one local
ity has felt the pinch OF want. while
another surfsited. but the world as .
whole has ever been . land OF plenty.
We nov have less than onetenth OF
the tillable land of the earth's surface
under cultivation. and We not only
have this surplus area to draw on but
II 10 safe TO estimate that In case Of
dire necessity one-half the earth's
population could at the present time
knock their living out of the trees
Of the forest. gather Il from wild
vines and draw II from streams. No
one should become alarmed: the
world will never starve.
The consumer has always feared
that the producer would not supply
him and his fright has found express
sion on the statute books OF our states
and nations and the farmer has been
urged TO produce recklessly and with
out reference TO q market. and regard
less Of the demands Of the consumer.
Back 70 the Soil.
The city people have been urging
each other to move back TO the farm.
but very few Of them have moved.
We welcome our city cousins back to
the soil and this earth's surface con-
tains 16.os3. 1so.oo0 idle acres OF till
able land where they can make q
living by tickling the earth with q
forked stick. but We DO not need them
90 far ~ increasing production IN con-
cerned: We now have all the producers
~ can use. The city man has very
erroneous ideas OF agricultural condi-
lions. The commonly accepted theory
that We are short on production IL all
wrong. Our annual increase In pro-
duction far exceeds that of our In
crease In population.
The World ss . Farm.
Taking the world 90 one big farm.
We md two billion acres Of land In
cultivation. OF this amount there 10
approximately 750. 900 900 acres on the
western and 1.1eo. 100000 acres on the
eastern hemisphere. in cultivation.
This estimate. Of course. does not In
ciuds grazing lands. forests. ETC..
where large Quantities Of meat are
produced
The worlds annual crop approx
mates fifteen billion bushels Of CO
reals. thirteen billion pounds of nbre
and sixty-nve million tons Of meat
The average annual world crop for
the past I'VE years. compared with the
previous I'VE years. 10 ~ follows:
Past Half Previous Half
Crops Decade. Decade.
Corn (Bu) 3.ssl.17l.ooo s.l03 .s5s 900
Wheat Bu.) 3.Bzz. 76s 900 3.z57 $4,000
Oats (Bu.) <.11o.o17.o0o 3.50s $4,000
Cotton (Baies) 1s.ss3.soo 1891 200
The world shows an average in-
crease In cereal production OF ~ per
cent during the past decade, compared
with the previous i've years. while the
worlds population shows an Increase
Of only three per cent
The gain In production far exceeds
that Of our increase IN population. and
II 10 safe TO estimate that the farmer
can easily increase production Is per
cent n remunerstive market can be
found for the products. In textile
nbres the world shows an increase
during the past half decade In produc-
ton OF Is per cent against . popuia-
ton increase OF three per cent.
TIE people OF this nation should
address themselves 10 the subject OF
improved facilities for distribution.
over-production and crop mortgage