Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-12-09


tion from the country to the cities,
there has been a decided diminution
in the productivity of the soil, owing
Ito poor methods Of cultivation.
Where the wheatfields of the Dakotas
formerly yielded twenty-five and thir-
ty bushels per acre, now the yield is
from twelve to fifteen and the rela-
tive reduction in the production of
corn, except among the best farmers
is almost as great.
Meat Production Cut Off
"Meat production has been seriously
impaired by demonstrating the land
good only for ranges, thus driving out
the big cattlemen and putting in their
place men who had no capital with
which to buy cattle and with insuffi-
cient acreage to build up herds of pay
ing size. The homestead law was
splendid, so long as agricultural lands
could be had, but it has been mostly
tragedy for the homesteader during
the past ten years.
"Still another reason has been the
increased production of gold in the
world. Prior to 1896. the total pro-
duction of gold never had reached the
value of two hundred million dollars
in any one year. and up to 1890, the
worlds production was little more
than one hundred millions annually.
But for ten years the production
of gold has been between four and
five hundred million dollars annually,
and most Of that time much nearer
| five hundred millions This increase
lin the international money of the
world-gold, you know accumulates
instead Of being consumed like wheat
and corn-has been far faster than
/ the demands of business warranted,
consequently it has proportionately
decreased in purchasing power, which
means that the prices of things meas
ured ini gold have risen.
Three Domestic Causes.
"Thus, aside from the war, we have
three things tending to make prices
/ higher for all foodstuffs /. Increase
| in population; >. Decrease in produc-
ton of land under cultivation; 3. Tho
flood Of gold which has swept upon
the world during the past ten years
| "While prices will be lower after
peace is restored to Europe, it is safe
to say that low prices of foodstuffs
will never be known in America, eX.
cept in times of great financial de-
preston resulting in inability Of peo-
/ pie to buy the necessities of life.
For the present acute conditions
two remedies have been proposed:
What Embargo Would Mean.
T. Some unwise men at Washing
ton and elsewhere have suggested an
embargo on the export Of foodstuffs.
| Why let Europe have the food when
we need it ourselves? Why not keep
it at home. remove the competitive
| buying that sends prices up, and so
let everyone here live more cheaply?
1t sounds -simplel
But the embargo would be a
boomerang that returns to smite him
who hurls it, jefferson tried it in
1908, during the Napoleonic wars, and
brought the country to the verge Of
ruin, the New England states even
seriously threatening secession from
the union
Food is only one of the necessities
Of life Clothing is quite necessary.
It is going up in price. Shall we also
place an embargo on the export of
cotton and wool and leather? For the
farmer who produces our food, farm
machinery is a necessity Steel is its
principal component and steel is go
ing up because of the foreign de-
mand Shall we keep all our steel
at home?
There is another side to the ques-
ton We are waxing fat and pros
porous out of our war trade, the mu-
Initions we make, the supplies we sell.
Food is only one item in the big bill
Of goods the people of Europe are
buying from us How can We refuse
to sell them food and continue to sell
them shells? How can we clothe
them and arm them and equip them
but decline to feed them?
"If we make the embargo logical
shall we not close our mills and fac
tories at the same time we are deny
ing the farmers their just share in the
profits of this war business
The Boycott Remedy.
so. There is the boycott, which has
been tried with more or less success
in number Of the big cities where
there are warehouses with accumula-
tions of foodstuffs. The prices OF
eggs were brought down in New York
Chicago and Los Angeles, because
there is limit to the period i'm which
eggs are allowed to remain in storage
There is no such condition in Albu-
querque. ! happen TO know that the
wholesale Kreeers are having the
greatest difficulties in securing sup
plies at any price, and they can only
get enough at a time to supply press
ing orders.
suppose You were to naugurate q
boycott. what article Of food would
YOU select? Someone has suggested
beans. because good crops of beans
have been raised in various sections
nHrA who