Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-03-13
OF FEEDING
WORLD GROWS MORE
COMPLEX EVERY YEAR
Fewer Producers and Nor. Con.
sumers-Asriculturs in Ameri.
ca Is in It's Infan.
ey Only.

By j. Q. p. Bland, in the Chicago Tribune.
AT the international congress of re-
frigeration. which was held last Sep
TENDER in Chicago, n point was per-
sistently emphasized by all the dele
gates-namely: that the worlds visible
meat supplies from all sources vas un-
equal to the growing demand.
After exhaustive discussion of the
whole subject by experts, opinion was
unanimous that the steadily increasing
price Of meat cannot be ascribed to
local or temporary causes; it is simply
n solely due to the increasing burden
OF population on this planet n to the
fact that a steadily diminishing proper
ton of that population, in civilized
countries, is engaged in agricultural
pursuits.
The numbers and activities OF food
producers, In fact, have been steadily
going down, under pressure of our con-
gested industrialism, while the numbers
and needs Of food consumers have
gone steadily up.
James j. Hill. a far-seeing observer
OF world economies, foretold three
years g with extraordinary lucidity
the inevitable. urgent problem with
which civilization is confronted by rea-
son Of a constantly increasing artisan
population n the decreased produce
tivity of many lands from which re-
serves Of food have hitherto been
drawn.
CIVILIZATION and the Stomach.
Civilization Gas he justly observed
In his remarkable book, Highways Of
Progress') Is mostly the story Of the
triumph OF the human stomach in its
struggle for food sufficient for h work
of physical n mental evolution" In
other words, the peaceful progress OF
the world depends on h permanent
these depend upon q sound and suffi-
Cient agricultural foundation.
MI. Hill fOresaw-as others have
foreseen-that the United States rapid
transformation from an agricultural to
an Industrial nation must result in q
It would bring the present generation
face to face with the stern fac that
the old world IAN no longer look to the
new for constant supplies Of meat and
grain.
A hundred years g only s per cen
Of h American people lived in towns.
In 1870 half the working population of
the country was engaged in agriculture.
Today the proportion is less than a
third, and still the movement goes on,
in America as in western Europe. from
the land to the cities.
Think what his means. 1t means
that the conditions which have made
Great Britain dependent upon foreign
countries for the food supply of Its
crowded cities are in process of re-
producing themselves in h United
States; that, as the proportion of food
producers dwindles and the hosts OF
artisan food consumers increase, the
price of life's necessities inevitably
rises-and therefore it Is that today we
find the United States joining the ranks
of the food buying nations.
Better Methods Of Production.
Meanwhile the number of the food
| selling countries and their capacity to
supply the worlds wants are visibly
and rapidly declining. The solution of
the problem ,-hich confronts the world
today (and more especially the Anglo
Saxon world, which has failed to re-
cognize the all Importance OF agricul-
ture as the sure foundations of the
! state). lies. as the Chicago congress of
! refrigeration wisely concluded, in in
stituting and organizing better methods
of production.
Belgium, France, Germany and
Japan, among modern nations. have
learned betimes the lesson which the
| Anglo-Saxon must now take to heart,
namely. that the true wealth of q ma
! ton lies in its soil and that agriculture
requires to be more carefully fostered
and scientifically organized than IN
other national industry because upon it
all others depend.
remaining countries with surplus food
to sell will be compelled to protect
their own people against the increasing
competition of foreign buyers. When
that day comes necessity, stern moth
er OF invention, viii compel the people
OF the United States-nOt to speak OF
Great Britain-to a more intelligent
use of sthe of the land.
Scientifically educated nations. like
Belgium and Germany, have conclu-
sively proved that with proper treat
ment the soli should be able to support
in comfort at least 400 persons to tho
square mile. A figure represents the
result of scientific, not intensive, Gull
ture. Japan. with highly specialized
intensive culture, maintains 10000 900
Of people on some $4,000 square miles OF
cultivated soil.
What United States Should Do.
Accepting this ratio. and applying It
to the total AGRA OF Yarn lands In the
United States. It follows that by tho
adoption Of similar methods the United
Staten should be- able to support q
: population OF something between co.,
100000 and 700. 0O0. 900. Yet, with q
now beginning to buy wheat from Can
ada and meat from Australia and the
Argentine. What does this meant
Simply that the United States. putting
Clndustr5alism before agriculture, like
ENGLAND. must buy food. which must.
her manufactured products In foreign
markets.
Herein we find the Fundamental I
! plantation of the American housewives
bitter cry against the ~lncreasing cost
q neces:ities z OF the popular asita-l
root causesof recent tariff reform LEI.
lnlattonSAnd the politicians incroasjInx
anxiety Q trad4 outlets In the fu-.
sture; herein. too ltes the cause OF la
g unrest. sllre sign of ~increaaing ec-
TrNa nscsss,S rsSSssS.~. .