Mansfield mirror., 1915-05-13
MARKETING WORLDS
GREATEST PROBLEM
WE ARE LONG ON PRODUCTION,
SHORT ON DISTRIBUTION.
By 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 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 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 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 tillable land OF the earth's surface
under cultivation, and we not only
have this surplus area TO draw on but
il 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
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 market, and regard I
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 earth's surface con. I
tains 16.092, 10000 idle acres OF till
able land where they can make a
living by tickling the earth with
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 condi- .
tions. The commonly accepted theory
that We are short on production is all
wrong. Our annual increase in pro-
iuction far exceeds that of our IN
,rease in population.
The World as a Farm.
Taking the world as one big farm,
We find two billion acres Of land in
Utilization. or this amount there is
pproximately 50,OO0.O00 acres on the
Western and 1860 100000 acres on the
astern hemisphere, in cultivation.
his estimate. of course. does not in.
lude grazing lands. forests, etc,
Vhere large quantities OF meat are
reduced.
The worlds annual crop approx.
mates fifteen billion bushels Of ce.
eals, thirteen billion pounds Of fibre
nd sixty-five million tons Of meat.
The average annual world crop for
he past five years, compared with the
revious five years. is as follows:
Past Half Previous Half
Crops Decade. Decade.
orn fBu) 3,934,174.000 3.4O3 ,655. 900
heat tBu) 3,522, 10000 3,257 $4,000
ats (BuD 4,120.O170OO 3,5OS. .315OOO
otton (Bales) 19,S63,S0O 17,541,2OO
Tine world shows an average In.
-ease in cereal production of 13 per
'nt during the past decade, compared
ith the previous five years, while the
orld's population shows an increase
only three per cent.
The gain in production far exceeds
lat OF our increase in population. and -,
is safe to estimate that the farmer N
IN easily increase production % per 5
mt II remuneratve market can be n
und for the products In textile
1res the world shows an increase ;
lring the past half decade In produc. ]
On Of IS per cent against a popula.
IN increase OF three per cent.
The people OF this nation should {
dress themselves to the subject Of p
'proved facilities for distribution. n