Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-05-01
ny A. @. TowELEY.

The farmers OF America can double
their crops this year; they can grow
ten times as much food next year as
they ever grew in any year before and
thew don't need any advice TO do this
they need a fair deal.
II IS IN 10 the United States govern
ment whether the years crops snaIl De
large or small. and il is up TO the same
government 10 say IL next years crops
shall be enough 10 feed not only the
people of this country but all the allies
This IS what the government must DO
to get all this foOdstuff;
Take over the distribution system
Take over the packing plants can
neries. flour mills, warehouses eIeNa-
tors and storage plants
Take over the idle land held by spec
ulating land holders. and distribute IL
among the hundreds of thousands OF
farmers who will make this land pro-
ductive.
Loan the farmers money with which
TO buv seed. equipment and labor.
II the government takes over the food
distribution system, warehousing cnan-
neIs. and sets the prices, 1t will emo
gambling in foods
IL should set a retail price, which the
CITY retailer would have to charge Ihls
mice would permit the retailer fair
margin Of profit: il would give the farm
er an amount equal TO the cost OF pro-
'duction. and a fair profit
That would make the cost of living
lower during war times than II has been
the last few years in peace, ana the
government could make enough proti'
out of il to. pay all the war debt.
The only persons who would be hurl
would be the commission men, 1000
gamblers. monopOlists. including miilers
hackers and railroads
Then we could spare all these BOARD
of trade solicitors and gamblers for the
.-nv and navy. In the trenches they
could help the country: in private life
they are the parasites who feast on oth-
er peoples production
Take the meat packing industry from
the clutches of the beef barons anO
farmers all over the country will start
raising meat live stock And meat eat
ers will pay less than they have IN dec
AIDES
Gambling in foodstuffs has done more
to lessen production in America than
anything else. II il is stopped you car
depend upon rapidly increasing crops
You won't have to beg OF coax the farm
ers 10 plant large acreages- Ihey J.
do * anyhow.
7 can't see how the government car
make prices as long as il permits gam
bling. and as long as monOpohsts con
troll the food manufacturing transports
ton and marketing end.
Anv attempt to fix a minimum price
10 farmers will result in greatly IN
creased prices TO consumers, for the
bloodsuckers between producer and con-
sumner will add their toll just the same
Instead OF the government and bank
ers and big business men urging the
farmers TO SOW more and work harder
the government ought to help the farm
er produce more!
Let the government confiscate, pay
ing present value. all cultivatable land
now held by lang hogs. and divide TINS
land among the hundreds or thousands
of men working on farms who can't buy
land.
There would be no labor shortage or
farms il farm hands saw chance &c
get a farm of their own, and il farmers
got enough for their production so they
could pay higher wages
I suggest that the government refuse
10 accept for enlistment men from
farms They are needed more for fooC
growing than for battlefields. II takes
wears to make farmer; weeks TO make
munition worker
II YOU will do that America will pro
duce ten times as mRch food ten years
-rCu.
the old system and she won't produce
more then than she does now