The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1917-11-12
FOOD SITUATION IS VERY
CRITICAL In THE UNITED STATES

OF over Is per cent; while our ponn,a-
tlon has increased in that time nv
probably nearly 25,OOO,OOO.
We have 100000 head Of hoaf rot
tie less than we had in 1909 and a.
700 900 less than as far back as 1eo6 i
And as though these facts in repard
TO sheep and beef cattle were not So
rlous enough, we have the recent !
statement of the department of agri- /
culture that on September l the coun-
Try had 100000 less swine than one
year ago, a decrease in IL months Of
o.5 per cent; and the average weight
OF nogs now going into the packing
houses is very much less than former
ly, due to the fact that the hirb
price OF feed has been causing farm
ers to sell of their hogs without wait
ing for their full growth.
Facts Are Startling.
~, lnese Facts are startling enough.
Ihey are IN themselves the strongest
argument that can possibly be made
IN behalf of food conservation. We
cannot go on wasting foodstuffs as
we nave done in the past. We have
reached the point long foreseen by all
thoughtful observers, of a gradually
decreasing supply of foodstuffs, which
could only be met by more ~conserva-
ton IN the use of food in order to pre-
vent exorbitant prices, and this en-
tire " without regard to the existence
of the war. This condition was in ey-
idence long before the war.
There are many reasons for the sit
uation which We now face One, and
fundamental one, is the change that
has been going on for the last thirty
years in the shifting of population
from the country to the cities; a
change so momentous that its import
ance should have been recognized long
!, ago by all students of food supply
, and general economics.
In 1880 this country had total pop-
,, ulation in round figures of 5O,OOO,O0O
Of this number 14,7OO,OOO lived ir
towns and cities, and 35 100000 in the
country. In 1910 we had AZ 100000 il
the cities and 49,3OO,O0O in the coun
! try. In that time urban population
: almost trebled, while country popula
> ton gained only about 40 per cent
= Shift of Population.
= In 1880 29.5 per cent of our popula
= ton lived in cities and 7O.5 per cen
. in the country. In 1910 urban popula
, 30
:. per cent. Expressed in gross figures
5 5 we had in 1910 nearly $4,000, 600 nor
y people living in cities than in 1880
e while we had only 100000 moro liv
~ ing in the country in 1910 than il
= 1880. The most striking change too
e place between 1900 and 1910, and tn
~ amazing advance in city population
y made at that time still goes on. Be
y tween 1900 and 1910 city population
, increased nearly 100000, and cour
i try population only 100000.
.e With this enormous relative de
crease in country population, whic
Sc produces the foodstuffs, and the enol
- nous increase in city population whlc
consumes the foodstuffs, we can reac
y, ily understand the gradual decline
- food production in proportion to pol
~, ulation.
- The nation must face the issue, ar
~ we must learn food conservation to
~ greater extent than we have evt
', known it in the past because war {
II no war, we cannot waste food as
- former years; and at this time wit
-, the call Of the Allies for food, it
Al supremely important that we shou
~ conserve food to the utmost extent
a. our ability, and that at the same tin
Ii every effort which farmers, busine
10 men and national and State cover
~ ments in combination can make shou
&c be put forth to increase the food pr
W duction of the coming year.
'sS Power and Machinery Factor.
~ Industrial development, which h
III brought about the great increase
~: ~ city population, has been due large
= IN to the marvellous results of power m
~, chinery. In the factory-and on t
- street power machinery, with all tn
l@' it means in better streets, bett
homes, better facilities for getti
=. around, better facilities for doing bl
,Io mess, has aided city growth. In
~ country animal power and manual
IT, Dor still predominant, and the count
:. has to large extent been without I
IN IN great benefits which the city has h
e" in the utilization of power and n
ms chinery. Country life has been ma
pr pered by intolerably bad roads, VIII
aSe have been strong factor IN drlv]
tne people from the country to the cit
'rtc Farming operations have been ha
CO. oi pered, as compared with industrial
LIS, velopment, because while the lat
asC had power machinery the former
IN not. We must look to the devel
49,, ment of machinery power on the ia
eep in the shape of tractors and to g
ase roads, which will lessen the cost
"a farming operations, as vital tact
~ in bringing about larger product
~, of foodstuffs in proportion to the nj
.rr Der engaged in farming than at pl
In ent. Otherwise we shall have
AAA tinued advance in foodstuffs to