New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-14
English Economist Advises
Farmers to Raise
Huge Crops
Severe Taxation Best
America Urged to Profit by
Blunders Of Great
Britain
Bv FRANCIS W. HIRST
~, CIV. 70 1,.c Tr.huncl

.Dy Cable 10 To Trbunc'
London. April II David Lloyd
George in his speech before 'hc Ameri-
ran Luncheon Club yesterday said thai
during this war eve have tried every
blunGer and got into every bunker"
The Boer War experience should have
saved US from some errors. but with
the partial exception Of the Treasury
and finance the Premier's candid avow-
al will be Endorsed.
Ny reason for sending this cable
message IS his respectful" suggestion
that 1T is worth while for America TO
study our blunders. so as TO begin
where VIC are now" America, of course.
has its own genius, which is inventive
rather than initiative. You arc not
likely to adopt en- bloc either the
British or the French methods. but
perhaps you may look at few points
from an Independent critic.
The week after war was declared !
published two suggestions to our gov
eminent. The first was that special
measures should be taken TO prevent
public waste by appointing rrst class
men OF business to control all war con
tracts and all war expenditures. The
second was that immediate steps be
taken 10 increase food production
through the Urted Kingdom. The
increase of potato patches, the enlarge
ment Of cottage gardens, the CONVEX
sion Of flower gardens into kitchen
L. asr~f = 80 q
lands and sport preserves were among
my specific recommendations.
Urges Greatest Possible Crops
The submarine campaign and the rise
.n prices have brought these needs
home TO US. but much Of our skilled
labor has gone. Ny idea is that ur-
gent appeals 20 American farmers
everywhere 20 raise the greatest pos
sble crops by spring sowings Of
cereals, potatoes and vegetables Of all
kinds, will probably evoke great re-
Spouse, for increasing scarcity prom
ises a profit which will handsomely
teeompense the performance of a pub
lie duty.
IN all your great cities there must be
a large leisure population which could
assist in organizing food production.
Lloyd George laid special emphasis
on the need for ships. These are rap
idly becoming essential. The rapid
production and utilization OF all avail
able food and ships, hacked by money.
trained soldiers and a sklllful demo
cratic Diplomacy are the means By
which, one ardently hopes and believes,
the Central Powers Will be driven and
drawn into that safe, permanent peace
which formed the idealistic peroration
Of Llovd Georges speech.
Severe Taxation Best
War finance is becoming a tremen-
dous problem. Our debt has risen
from seven hundred 20 four thousand
millions sterling, and is growing at
rate above forty millions a week. We
have raised large sums by new taxes,
chiefly by the income tax. supertaX
on excess profits and a duty on beer
and tobacco, but everyone must feel We
ought 10 have started on a much high
or scale. IL is better far 20 begin
severe taxation which can be lowered
when the war expenditure ceases than
20 borrow moro and more, leaving the
full weight Of the burden 70 be felt
when peace comes and the armies are
let loose on falling markets.
What | have said about the import
3nce o. great AOOO Production lulS
year Is enhanced by the sbnormally
severe weather. y colder April or a
more backward spring is never rcmem-
bered. Many lambs have peri shed and
vegetation is unusually backward Seed
potatoes are scarce, but there will be
immense cultivation IN garden allot-
ments Of beans, peas, turnips, carrots
= and parsnips
M Ealue of Oats
" As u is now too late 20 sow spring
wheat, good deal OF the newly
ploughed land probably will be dedi-
Gated to oats. Until sixty or seventy
years ago oatmeal porridge was the
staple food Of Scotland, bread being
luxury. Porridge Is still a great
food in the north and Is being popular
;zed in South England by the scarcity
of potatoes.
Your new Food Controller, Herbert
Hoover. tells me beans would be the
most useful OF all crops for present
conditions Beans contain protein and
fats. whereas potatoes contain neither.
Beans keep two or three years and fill
little shipping space. They will stand
trans portation and can be planted up
80 June in many parts Of the United
States.