The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-11-08
LOOKING AHEAD.

LOOKING AHEAD.
That agriculture will play a more and
more important part in the growth and de-
yelo.,raent of this section OF FLORIDA IS
certain.
Pensacola is exceedingly prosperous to-
dav. as emphasized by the statement MADE
in the news columns by MIR. Lamar, cashier
Of the American National Bank, to the
effect that the bank cleay1ngs are In the
neighDorhood of a million dollars IN excess
OF those OF year ago.
But there is no Disgusting the tact that
this prosperity has as it's fountain head the
presence here of the American service units.
Lumber is also in active demand, and
naval sores are now, as they always have
been in recent years, important factor.
Also, the fishing interests, with an active
demand at high prices, are very materially
to be considered. =:
But looking down the years, it is clear
as crystal that these conditions Will not
endure Peace and the pursuit of peace
will once more settle upon the land In the
natural course Of events lumber will be-
come scarcer and scarCer, and with It's van
shing will go the source OF the naval
> stores.
The government stations will probably
ALWAYS be here but the vast majority OF
the men will be dissipated over the country;
as they were before the holocaust overlook
the world.
This is not intended to be pessimistic
picture and in regard to its position with
relation to the future this community is no
different from many others.
The facts are, that communities as indi-
yiduals must change with changing times,
and IN many instances a reconstruction
process must be begun, and intensive effort
established, to offset the rapidly vanishing
resources of the country.
These thoughts are prompted by the OPP
portunity which West Florida, in common
with the entire state, now has in agricul-
ture. Agriculture must, in large measure at
least, come to be the backbone of this sec
tion. If that is true, and the logic of it will
scarcely be disputed, then the time to es-
tablish the initiative for the movement is
now, during other period in our his
tory. agricultural products are in greatest
demand at maximum prices.
And this condition is likely to endure for
several years at least, is indeed destined to
outdate the war by long period, because
the period of reconstruction will be
period of great mechanical activity, with
the nations facing a shortage of man power
in fields of production. Furthermore, all
food stores and food surplus will have been
consumed, which it will take years to re-
AdUlltdte
To mention one item alone, that of live
stock. there is no telling how many years
it will require to re-establish the meat sup
ply upon the old basis of demand And It is
thinkable that poultry will be as rare as
game birds before the conflict ceases
These facts should be we'll considered
and digested by the people of West Florida
who should remember in this connection
that they are located in one of the most
favored agricultural sections of the entire
United States. That fact is really the back
bone OF the question. Whatever tirnidity
is evidenced in some sections about a re-
turn to the land solution of economic
problems, has no excuse here
1t is history that first comes to the lur-
herman, and following him the plow The
one era hereabouts is passing. No time
should be lost, under the conditions, in pre-
pairing for the second.