Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-05-04
Why We Face Famine.

with any degree Of interest will be
interested, also, in the article by Ar
thur Richmond Marsh, in last Sundays
New. York World. Mr.. Marsh is best
described as one of the leading econ
omists of the United States, is the
editor Of the Economic World Of New
York and is widely known as a
scholar and a man of affairs. He has
been professor Of English in the Uni
versity Of Kansas. professor of COM
served terms as vice president and
president of the New York Cotton Elk
change.
In the article referred to Mr.. Marsh
says:
For at least a generation past the
tendency Of American economic and
social endeavor has been toward in
creasing the sum of satisfactions en-
joyed by the urban producer and
worker, while leaving the rural pro-
Queer and worker to fare as best they
may from the results of their unheed-
ed and unassisted toll. The result
has been that there has been con-
tinuous movement Of the agricultural
population toward the urban industries
and employments, with scarcely a
trace of a counter balancing move
ment from the urban communities to
the country.
THE continuance of the farmer on
his farm at all has been due either
to the sluggish inertia of his mind or
to the instructive and deep-rooted
qualification derived from the owner
ship of land. Given alertneSS of mind
or lack of relatively easy opportunity
to own land on the part of the rural
dweller, he has in the great majority
of cases seen his advantage in leaving
agriculture to become an urban work.
err. requiring instead of producing a
part Of the country's food supply
"Ths is the deep underlying cause
of the present embarrassment of the
United States in connection with it's
food supply. That this cause must
ultimately bring about crisis in the
country's economic situation was long
ago perceived by not a few students
of the larger aspects of our affairs;
the present writer, for example, began
to forecast such an outcome of the
movement of the productive population
some years before the beginning Of the
European war. And yet for a variety
of reasons-some of them coming into
play almost miracuously in the very
nick of time-the crisis was long post
poned.
The lack OF a sufficient number of
agricultural workers is then the pri-
80 ;,o Of
agriculture to meet without fail the
increasing demands upon it, In
Germany, whose agriculture is so much
admired. it is estimated that for every
100 acres Of improved farm land no
less than Is workers are employed on
the average. In Great Britain. where
the raising Of crops has become SUBJ
sidiary to the raising of cattle, sheep
and horses. about five workers are en-
ployed for each 100 acres Of improved
land. But here in the United States
we have less than az workers on the
average for each 100 acres of i'm
proved farm land"
And it is this "a workers on every
100 acres Of improved farm lands in
our country to whom government,
financial, and business interests are
saying: do your PATRIOTIC DUTY
and keep us from starving. We Will
AID you with free advice, and loan
YOU money wherever you can give
SECURITY that will not entail too
much bother. or possibility Of bother,
in collecting. All you need do is actu-
ally go to work and raise the crops
we need-we'll do ALL the rest"
Here is a case In point: In vassal-
boro have been found. together. two
Of the prime requisites for food pro-
duction-a farmer and his land. The
missing link was money for seed and
fertilizer. The farmer came to Angus
Ia, we are told, after that last neces-
sity He visited various places where
II is known to be, but it was not
Forthcoming - because-well, because
he couldn't give the security" re-
quired.
Everywhere in Maine are similar
cases. Some who are able to get the
wheat at So a bushel or the. potatoes
at 1925, and the fertilizer at $40 to
$40 ton, will gamble on the chances
of getting more out Of the crop than
they put In. They receive no security
from any source. and they know from
bitter experience that Dame Nature"
is q risky paymaster, in spite Of all her
fair promises.
The soldiers are Guaranteed that the
last food supply Of the nation shall
be theirs.
The munitions makers are suaran-
tesd sure profits after their labor has
been we'll paid.
The builders Of ships and Of aircraft
ere working on sure returns, if the
government lives.
Every branch Of war supply except
that needed most Of all-food-may
work on absolute guarantee OF just
return. The food raiser takes his own
chances-and the government permits
the most perhdious Of all parasites.
the food Spectator. to prey upon him
at will: while the consumer blames