Crittenden record-press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1909-191?, 1914-12-03
MARKETING WORLDS
Greatest PROBLEM
WE ARE LONG ON PRODUCTION,
SHORT ON DISTRlBUTIoN.
cy Peter 7adford
Lecturer National Farmers Union.

Lecturer National Farmers Union.
The economic distribution Of farm
products is today the worlds greatest
problem and the war, while II has
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 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 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 StsrVe.
Al 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 a change in diet and one local.
ity has felt the pinch OF want, while
another surfeited. but the world as
whole has ever been a land OF plenty.
We now have less than one-tenth OF
! the tllable land OF the earth's surface
under cultivation, and We not only
have this surplus area to draw on but
II IL 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 II 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 10 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 10 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
taius lGUg2IGOoOO idle acres OF TIL
able land where they can make a
living by tickling the earth with a
forked stick. but We do not need them
so far as increasing production Is con
cerncd. 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 I'm population,
The World as a Farm.
Taking the world as one big farm
r We find two billion acres Of land In
d cultivation or this amount there Is
I approximately 75O.OOO.OOO acres on the
, western and ECO 100000 acres on the
eastern hemisphere In cultivation
This estimate. OF course. does not in
I clude grazing lands, forests, etc.
where large quantities OF meat are
produced
e The worlds annual crop approx
70 mates fifteen billion bushels OF &C
reals thirteen billion pounds Of fibr,
" and sixty.fve million tons 81 meat.
{ The average annual world crop fo'
d the past five years compared with thu
- previous five years. Is as follows;
, Past Half Previous Hal
u Crops Decade, Decade.
:. Corn (Bu) S,9Si,l7iOO0 S,lOS,655,OO,
% wheattBul S,52g,7 $4,000 3,257 $4,000,
Oats (Rul 4.12O,Ol7OOO S,5OS,3l5Oo
N Cotton (Ralesl 19,S6S,SO0 l7.54l.20
the world shows an average in
crease in cereal production OF IL pc
cent during the past decade, compare,
with the previous Ave years, while tn
worlds population shows an increas
Or Of only three per cent
The gain in production far exceed
u. that OF our increase in population. an
= II Is safe to estimate that the farme
can easily increase production 20 pc
cent II remunerative market can b
Of found for the products. In textil
r. fibres the world shows an increas
y during the past half decade In produ'
IT, ton Of 10 per cent against popul9
IN ton increase Of three per cent.
Y. The people Of this nation shoul
address themselves TO the subject Q
improved facilities for distribution.