The Carlisle independent., 1917-04-19
Pages Weekly Letter
FOOD STUFF

ldentS 0t AgrlcuIturat Colleges and Experiment Station Direc- tors from about half of the States of the Union. The conference
 was held in St Louis the cali of Secretary Houston, of the U ;. Department of Agriculture, to council and devise plans for meeting the emergency that con fronts the world in regard to the food supply during the strug- gle> of a wor d wide war. to which the United States has but recently become a party. The primary object was to plan for sufficient food supply for home consumption while we are at war and secondarilly to supply as far as possible the. deficiency in the food supply of our allies at war with Germany The plan agreed upon was grouped under four heads, as follows:
 l. Production and Labor
 , Distribution and Prices
 3. Economy and Utilization
 1 Effective Organization
 The first with which we are concerned is production It was the agreement that the cotton acreage would not need to be re duced. However, local conditions must enter inte this matter. It is equally important that the coun- try be clothed as well as fed. and full cotton crop will be needed; but we cannot hope to raise a bumper cotton crop at nigh prices and Wap a part of it for food stuff and feed for our stock, as we have done in the past. If we eat and feed our stock next year we will have to raise the food stuff and the feed. The corn and grain belt will raise food stuff and feed this year as usua. but in those sections they are short of labor and can't in crease their acreage of yield ma terially on that account In case of shortage. the high prices. pressing demand and low freight rates will take the products North and East and for export. In case of great shortage the Government will take charge of the distribution, in which case the food products will go to those in greatest need, which will be to the cities and concen trated points. Hence, we must indeed and in truth feed our. selves this and next year. This injunction will first impress it. self upon the farmers. They must not expect to be able to buy any of the staple food stuffs ex- cept sugar and coffee next year, except the home raised products. They may be able to buy some, but only in limited quantities This injunction should impress itself upon the towns and ciues, where ample provision should be made for warehouses and stor age capacity, and especially Tn regard to local freight rates in the shipment of food stuffs. Ev cry town should have a munici pal potato house more than large enough to supply local needs. A local warehouse under cur Ware house law should be organized in every town to take care of the surplus corn, peanuts, hay, peas. 1 etc, so all the food and feed products can be conserved and kept at home Every ice plant in the state should immediately prepare for keeping meat. both in cold storage and in the cured state. We are going to need all we raise in Arkansas to feed Ar kansas people. We should not al low a COW, beifer, brood SOW or eve to be slaughtered, and itI should be made a crime against society to eat veal. The local ice plants can easily make cold stor- age facilities for eggs, and the shipment of eggs out of the state
 should stop Every town should put in a small canning plant and evaporator and can vegetables and fruits at cost and eyaporate or dry apples and peaches the same waJ.
 In the matter of distribution, the Government will no doubt be authorized to direct and restrict shipment, to restrict profits of middle men, to regulate trans portation charges, to regulate weights, measures, and stand ardize packages and if needs be, to fix minimum price to be paid to producers and a maximum price charged consumers,