Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1914-11-27
MARKETING WORLDS
GREATEST PROBLEM
WE ARE LONG ON PRODUCTION,
SHORT ON DISTRIBUTION.
BY peter Radford
turer National Farmers Union.


The economic distribution of farm
products is today the worlds greatest
problem and the war, while it has
brought its hardshiDs, has clearly en-
phasi2ed the importance Of distribu-
ton IS 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 VIII, 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.
The Wcrid win Never starve.
At 70 time since Adam and Eve
we're driven from tile Garden Of Eden
have the inhabitants OF this world
suffered from lack OF production, but
some people have gone hungry from
the dav of creation to this good hour
for the lack of proper distribution.
Slight variations in production have
forced q 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 tillable land of the earth's surface
under cultivation and we not only
nave this surplus area to draw on but
it is 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 it from wild
vines and draw it from streams. No
one should become alarmed; the
world will never starve-
The consumer has always feared
that the producer would not supply
ldm and his fright has found express
sion on the statute books of our states
and nations and the farmer has hSen
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 of them have moved
We welcome our city cousins back to
the soil and this eaTth's surface con-
tains 1902, 100000 idle acres of till
able land where they can make a
living by tickling the earth with
forked stick, but we do not need them
so 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 eondi-
tons. 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 a Farm.
Taking the world as one big farm,
we find two billion acres Of land in
cultivation. Of this amount there is
approximately 75O,O0O,OOO acres on the
western and 1850, 100000 acres on the
eastern hemisphere. in cultivation.
This estimate, of course, does not in
,lude grazing lands, forests. etc.
where large quantities of meat are
produced.
The worlds annual crop approx
mates fifteen billion bushels of ce'
'eaIs, thirteen billion pounds of fibre
md sixty-five million tons Of meat.
The average annual world crop for
he past five years, compared with the
previous five years, is as follows:
Past Half Previous Half
Crops- Decade. Decade
Jorn (Bu.) 3,9s4,174OOO S,4O3, 655,O0O
Wheat Bu.) 1922, 100000 1921, $4,000
Oats (Bu.) 4,12O,O17,OOO 9,50S.Sf5,O0O
lotion (Bales) 19,S63,SOO 17,541,20O
The world shows an average in
.rease in cereal production of IS per
ent during the past decade, compared
With the previous five years, while the
worlds population shows an increase
# only three per cent.
The gain in production far exceeds
hat of our increase in population. and
t is safe to estimate that the farmer
an easily increase production 20 per
ent il a remunerative market can be
ound for the products. In textile
'5res the world shows an increase
uring the past half decade in produc-
ion of IS per cent against d popuia-
ion increase of three per cent.
The people Of this nation should
ddress themselves to the subject OF
facilities for distribution.
Over-produotion and crop mortgage
Orce the farmers into ruinous COM
etition with each other. The remedy