The Idaho Springs siftings-news. (Idaho Springs, Colo.) 1905-19??, 1917-04-13
COLORADO FOOD SUPPLY
RAISE CROP ON EVERY POSSIBLE
ACRE THIS YEAR.
Proclamation From the Committee on
Ways and Means Appointed BY
Governor Gunter.
Western Newspaper Union News Service.

Western Newspaper Union News Service
IL, l917.-To The People of the state OF
Colorado: Hon julius C. Gunter. Gov
ernor of the State of Colorado mas APP
pointed the undersigned as a commit
tee on ways and means to devise plans
to meet the conditions regarding our
food supply. That serious 1000 STU
alton exists no one can question. me
situation, which would have been Sc
rious in any event. has been greatly
aggravated by reason OF the war, anu
as IT exists today threatens a national
calamity unless every effort Is maoe
by all Of the people to avert it.
In many parts OF the sreat ,shen,a
and Nebraska the winter wheat crop
is almost a total failure. According
produced 100. 900 bushels In 1915.
will not produce above 30.00O,0Oo BUSH
els from the coming harvest. The CON
dition of other staple food products
alarming. For instance, the potato
crop of last year was close to 100. 900
900. 900 bushels and the Indications are
that owing to the high cost OF seed ana
fertiliser the potato crop this year Will
| be short from twenty to forty per cent.
Of normal. Reserve stocks have been
almost depleted. Seed OF all kind, Is
scarce and high in price and unless
vigorous steps are taken the United
States will. in the course of year
find itself unable to supply our lc,, sol
aside from the normal requirements OF
our. population. We win be unable to
assist in the Tons w and ape
looking to us for a large part Of their
necessary food supply. Let our people
Withdrawn from all of our food pro-
ducing activities through the recruit
Ing of our army and navy.
The greatest contribution Whlcn
Co1orndn the country at
at this time Is to put forth every Ell
fort to the end that the last acre cap
able OF cultivation may be made to
produce some kind of a crop. The time
Is short; the situation II critical
This committee has been appointed
by the Governor of Colorado and his
Advisory War Council and asked to as
sumo the duty of securing a complete
organization in the state to bring
about the cultivation of every available
| acre. We earnestly urge that the peo-
pie of every community and county In
the state be Immediately organized for
the purpose of assisting In this crisis.
We ask the banks in every locality
| to Immediately call a mass meeting of
the people of their communities and at
such meeting to appoint a committee
on ways and means; that committee to
open headquarters, secure clerical as
sistance and appoint sub.committees
| for the following purposes:
First-A committee to investigate
the condition as regards the seed sup
ply in that locality; whether or not
there Is sufficient seed to plant a full
acreage and whether there Is surplus
that can be spared for use in other
| parts of the state.
Second-A committee to investigate
the financial condition of the farmers
in that locality and discover If finan-
| cial assistance Is needed by any
worthy individual in the purchase OF
seed.
Third-A committee to organize the
of devising plans for conserving the
| present food supply in every possible
way. and putting an absolute end to
waste of all kinds, as well as to assist
| In increasing the food production.
We ask that as soon as organized,
the chairman Of the local committee
| report Immediately to the Ways and
Means Committee. Room 20. State Capt.
toll Building. Denver.
We urge upon the banks to extend
financial assistance to worthy farmers
who from a lack of funds unable
to plant lands which they would other
wise cultivate. This committee will
undertake to assist in this matter when
called upon.
The time is short. In a few weeks
the planting season will be over. What
| is done must be done now. The i'm
perative need of the moment Is local
organization, and we urge that the
banks. merchants. business men. COM
mercial bodies, agricultural organiZa-
tions and bureaus. county commission
ers and all patriotic citizens unite in
perfecting local organizations at the
very earliest possible moment
Conditions are such that high prices
are certain to prevail for some years
to come, and the pecuniary reward to
be derived from an increased acreage
will undoubtedly be great; but this is
wholly secondary to the consideration
that in this crisis Colorado owes the
country the patriotic duty of straining
her every effort and utilizing her ev-
cry resource for the purpose Of con-
the nations food supply.
Other recommendations are under
consideration and will be submitted
question of the hour and we desire to
impress upon our people the idea that
care and the elimination of waste in
consumption Is equivalent to an in
crease in production.
This committee has opened headquar-
tiers in the Capitol Building at Denver
possible way. Every resource Of the
state will be utilized to assist the To-
cal committees in their WORK,
Experimental Station. the State Agri-
cultural Extension Service and ali of
the local bureaus of the Department of
Ices to assist and may be called upon
by every local committee.
In counties where agricultural agents
are maintained the county agents are
instructed to assist in every possible
way the. work of the local organiza-
tions.
To sum up. we, citizens of Colorado,
whose chief concern is to bring home
to our people the imperative necessity
n this grave hour Of increasing all
food products OF our state and thereby
averting what in the course of months
will be q dire calamity to our people,
most earnestly call upon our citisen-
the attention Of all of our citizens the
condition of our state; address our
selves to relieving this condition and
in every public spirited way assist our
farmers in increasing their agricultu-
raj areas and the production therefrom
We ask of the press and clergy Of
this state, aid In carrying this message
to our people.
BY order of the Governor:
]. K. MULLEN Chairman
c. A. KENDRICK
CHAS. A. LORY
]. c. MITCHELL
c. c. HAMLIN,