Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-05-06
DISTRIBUTION Of FOOD
PARAMOUNT NEED
Senator Fletcher Says American
Producers Are Able to Feed
the World.

That the need of the United States in
considering the food problem is not
SO much with production as with dis
tribution is the view expressed by
Senator Duncan L. Fletcher. president
of the Southern Commercial Congress,
in formal statement.
A system of scientific marketing to
deliver the products where and when
they are most needed is the paramount
need. Senator Fletcher thinks, and also
preserving of the perishable fruits and
vegetables that glut the markets at
certain seasons SO that they will pro-
vide an aIl-the-year supply. Senator
Fletcher's statement follows:
1T is said in normal times England
does not product enough foodstuffs in
a year to last her six weeks. In France
from the fields. Thousands have left
the farms in Canada for the army.
Thousand of farm workers have gone
from the United States into Canada
| when special inducements are offered.
Thousands Of young men have tempo
rarily passed from the farms in the
United States to the factories. when
high wages are paid. At the same time
we can easily produce food enough for
ourselves and all Europe. We have the
l
| is essential to production. production
| is sure reward of labor.
Able to Feed the World.
| When we consider that Germany is
not a s large as Texas by an area as
big as Alabama and she must feed
some 100000 people, we should be
ashamed. with all our territory. fertile
| 10 nd eli 70 70
| own to any uncertainty about our
ability to feed the world. Yes, and
| clothe it too
i For some years i have been con-
WINGED that what we need to be ex-
ercfsed about was not production, but
proper system of distribution. For
some time past 1 have thought. and some
| of our advanced agricultural colleges
| and farmers have insisted, that what
| we most needed was scientific market
ing methods rather than increased
| production. That need Is emphasized
by existing conditions.
We have laid stress on scientific
farming to the neglect of the equally
ing. There is no use to produce grain
vegetables. fruits, cattle and the like II
the cost of production is to be exceeded
by freights. commission charges here
| engaged In agriculture can readily fur
nish all the food products required al
home and by our friends. What is need
ed is plan, a method, a system, for
economically getting the products
| where and when they are wanted and
disposlng of them to the best advan-
| tage to both producer. and consumer
| There should be a mobilization of this
producing power with proper agencies
! for distribution.
Conservation of Surplus.
| Another thing is most important, to
wit: Some fruits and vegetables mature
and must be marketed within a few
months or they are lost. In that way
the markets are glutted. They cannot
be consumed within that time. The de.
mand ceases. They rot in the field Oh
| reach the market in bad order. The
remedy is to conserve these products
in some instances by canning or pre-,
| serving, and in other cases by resortinf
| to the rather expensive alternative, cold
| storage.
| Provision should be made to, TAX,
care of the surplus production and have
1t in another but wholesome and .usefu
form to feed out, when the fresh sup
ply is exhausted. l do not mean. to say
however. but what the time is here fol
every farmer to do his best. He cal
render the country no higher service
than to make two blades of grass grow
| where one grew before"