Yazoo City herald. [volume] (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1878-1976, 1914-12-11
MARKETING WORLDS
GREATEST PROBLEM
WE ARE LONG ON PRODUCTION,
SHORT ON DISTRIBUTION.
By Peter aadford
Lecturer National Farmers Union.

The economic distribution Of farm
products IL today the worlds greatest
problem and the var, while 1t mas
brought its hardships. has clearly EN-
phasized the importance Of distribu-
ton as 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 will, In a measure. COM
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 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. q ~ u r.
4 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 Jack of production, but
some people haYe gone hungry from
the day Of creation to this good hour
for the lack Of proper distribution.
Slight variations in production have
forced a change in diet and one local.
ity has felt the pinch Of want. while
another surfeited, but the world as q
whole has ever been land Of plenty.
We now have less than one-tenth OF
the tillable land of the earth's surface
Under cultivation, and we not only
have this surplus area to draw on but
It is safe to estimate that in case Of
dire necessity one-half the esrth's
population could at the present time
knock their living out Of the trees
of the forest, gather 1t from wild
vines and draw It from streams. No
one should become alarmed; the
world will never starte.
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 a market, and regard
less Of the demands Of the consumer.
Back to the Soil.
The city people have been urging
each other to move back to the farm,
but very few 81 them have moved.
We welcome our city cousins back TO
the soil and this earth's surface con-
tains 16,O92,16O.bO0 idle acres Of till
able land where they can mako z
living by tickling the earth with a
forked stick, but we do not need them
50 far as increasing production is con-
cerned; we now have all the producers
we can use. The city man has very
erroneous ideas Of agricultural coudi.
tions. The commonly accepted theory
that we are short on production 10 all
wrong. Oar annual increase III pro-
duction far exceeds that of our In
crease in population.
The World az Farm.
Taking the world as one big farm,
We End two billion acres OF land in
cultivation. OF this amount there is
approximately 750.OOO,0OO acres on the
western and 1880. 100000 acres on ths
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 approxi-
mates fifteen billion bushels Of &C..
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.) S,sS4,174,O0O S,4OS,s55, 900 ;
Wheat (Bu.) $685., 100000 S,257,526, 900
Oats (Bu.) 4,12O.O17.OOO S.50S,S15OOO
Cotton (Bales) 1s,S6S.S00 17,541 400 1
The world shows an average in- ;
SAO0SO Az SOiCoA PAOuuCtlOu VI 10 pCA
cent 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 t
Il IL safe to estimate that the farmer I
can easily increase production rs per ,
cent If remunerative market can be !;
'ound for the products. In textile
ibres the world shows an increase
turing the past half decade in produc- i
hon Of is per cent against popula- Q
Ion increase Of three per cent. v
The people of this nation should \
address themselves to the subject OF !.
improved facilities for distribution.
0ver-production and crop mortgage
he - !