Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1914-12-10
MARKETING WORLDS
GREATEST PROBLEM
WE ARE LONG ON PRODUCTION.
SHORT ON DISTRIBUTION.
ey Peter Radford
Lecturer National Farmers Union.

ey Peter Radford
Lecturer National Farmers Union.
The economic distribution OF farm
products is today the worlds greatest
problem and the war. while Il has
brought It's hardships. has clearly em.
phasized the importance OF distribu-
ton m a factor In American agricul-
ture and promises to give the farm
ers the cooperation OF the govern
ment and the business men the
solution Of their marketing problem.
This result win. In a measure, CON-
pensate us for our war losses, for the
business interests and government
have been In the main assisting al
most exclusively on the production
side sf 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 a
| market.
The World VIII Never starve.
At 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 .lck of proper distribution.
Slight variations I'm production have
forced q change I'm diet and one local
tty has felt the pinch OF want. while
another surfeited, but the world as
whole has ever been land of plenty.
We now have less than onetenth Of
the tillable land CT the earth's surface
under cultivation, and we not only
have this surplus area to draw on but
II In safe 10 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 Il 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 10 the Soil.
The city people hare 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 16.092. 10000 idle acres of til.
able land where they can make o
living by tickling the earth with q
forked stick. but We do not need them
so far as increasing production IN con-
cerned; we now have all the producers
we can use. The city man has very
erroneous ideas Of agricultural condi-
tions. The commonly accepted theory
that we are short on production is all
wrong. Our annual Increase In pro-
duction far exceeds that OF our in-
crease In population.
The World as q Farm.
Taking, the world as one big farm.
we find two billion acres of land in
cultivation. OF this amount there In
approximately 100000 acres on the
western and 1896. 100000 acres on the
eastern hemisphere. in cultivation.
This estimate. Of course. does not In.
clude grazing lands. forests. ETC..
where large quantities OF meat are
produced.
The worlds annual crop approx
mates fifteen billion bushels Of ce-
reals. thirteen billion pounds OF fibre
and sixty-five million tons OF meat.
The average annual world crop for
the past five years. compared with the
previous five years. is as follows:
Past Half Previous Half
Crops Decade. Decade.
Corn (Bu.C 3.s34.174.0o0 3,40s SIS. 900
wheat(B (Bu.) $685., ,7e9. 900 3.257 ,52s. 900
Oats (Bul 4.120.017. 600 3.50s ais. 900
Cotton (Bales) 1886, 800 1854, 200
Tne world shows an average fn-
crease In cereal production OF IL per
sent during the past decade, compared
with the previous FIVE 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 rs safe 10 estimate that the farmer
:an easily increase production z5 per
cent II a remunerative market can be
found for the products. In textile
dbres the world shows an increase
turing the past half decade in produc-
ton OF rs per cent against a popuia-
ton Increase OF three per cent.
The people of this nation should
address themselves TO the subject Of
improved facilities for distribution.