The Little River news., 1917-04-21
Pages Letter
 on Food Stuff

Litt}. aock, April 1S.-I have ju;, returned from conference with the U. S. Secretary of Agriculture, the Commissioners of Agriculture, Presi dents of Agricultural Colleges and Ex- pertinent Station Directors from about half of the states of the Union. The conference was held in St Louis on the call of Secretary Houston, of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, to counsel and advise plans for meeting the emer- gency that confronts the world in re- gard to the food supply during the struggles of worldwide war, to which the United States has but re- gently become party. The primary object was to plan for a sufficient food supply for home consumption while we are at war, and secondarily 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:
 1. Production and Labor
 ?. Distribution and Prices.
 8. Economy and Utilization.
 4. Effective Organization.
 The first with which we are con- cerned is production. It was the a. greement that the cotton acreage would not need to be reduced. How ever, local conditions must enter into this matter. It is equally important that the country be clothed as well as fed, and full cotton crop will be needed; but we cannot hope to raise bumper cotton crop at high prices and swap 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 our food stuff and the feed. The corn and grain belt will raise food stuff and feed as usual, but in those sections they are short of labor and cant in> crease their acreage or yield material ly on that account. In case of short age, the high prices, pressing demand and low freight rates will take the products North and East and for ex- port. 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 cCpcentrated points. Hence, we must indeed and in truth feed ourselves this year and next year. This injunction will first impress itself upon the farm CTS. 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 limit ed quantities. This injunction should impress itself upon the towns and cities, where ample provision should be made for warehouses and storage capacity, and especially in regard to local freight rates in the shipment of food stuffs. Every town should have municipal potato house more than large enough to supply local needs. A local warehouse under our warehouse law should be organized in every town to take care of the surplus corn, peanuts hay, peas, 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 Arkansas people. We should not allow a COW, heifer, broodsow or eWe to be slaughtered, and it should be made a crime against society to eat veal The local ice plants can easily make cold storage facilities for eggs, and the shipment of eggs out of the state should stop. Every town should put in small canning plant and