Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1918-01-23
NATION HEADING TOWARD 4
ALARMING FOOD FAMINE.
(By Richard ii. Edmonds.)

lIC uStu loI
food production, and for greatly in
creased food conservation, Richard
II. Edmonds, editor Of the Manufac-
turcrs' Record, recently said:
This nation Is heading directly
toward a possible food famine Of
| alarming proportions, and as our sue
cess in the war will depend upon
FOOD II is vitality important that our
and face the issue.
Long before the beginning OF the
! European war there were evidences
OF a decrease in food production in
proportion to the population. We
are raising less wheat than we did
sixteen years ago, Notwithstanding
| an increase during that time OF 90
| 100000 to 25,000,000 people in our
population. This years wheat crop
is 900 bushels less than the
crop Of 1901. We have about 15,-
100000 less head Of sheep than we
had some fourteen or fifteen years
HS"' ->''lh oIoiiho, WI
has several hundred thousand mead
| OF sheep less than it had as far back
as 1860. We have 8 per cent less
hogs than we had only a year ago.
We have some 100000 or S,OOO,-
900 less beef cattle than we had
some ten or twelve years ago. TO
large extent the reason for this de-
cline in food production is due to the
enormous movement Of population
from the country to the cities. Be-
tween 1900 and 1910 city population
Increased by about 100000. while
country population increased only A.
O00,000, and the growth since 1910
in city popul& ton has been even more
rapid. In 1880 only 20. per cent Of
the population Of this country lived
IN cities. Now about so per cent are
city dwellers. we have been. in
this way, steadily and enormously
increasing the number Of food con-
sumers and lcssening the number Of
food producers. Repeatedly during
the last few years have called at
tcntion to the evident outcome Of
this trend Of population away FROM
the country to the cities. IT is one
OF the great economic issues in the
nations life.
"My persistent advocacy for years
OF good roads was largely based on
the fact that until we give to the
man in the country the same ad-
vantages Of good roads and ease Of
communicating with his neighbors,
and OF hauling his stuff, which the
city dweller has in improved streets,
there will be a continued movement
OF population away from the country.
If there were no other reason for
good roads than this economic issue,
1T would be supremely important for
individual States and for the national
government to do their utmost to-
ward the encouragement Of building
good roads as the only possible way
in which to guarantee increased food
production. So long as country life,
sand or mud, Is less attractive, espe-
cially to the women and children,
than the city, SO long will the trend
of population be away from the coun-
try, and there Is no power on earth !
to change this condition except by
making country life attractive
through the building Of good roads. |
This is as important in war times as
IN peace, for road building must go |
on in order to secure increased food |
production as well as to supplement |
the railroads, which have completely |
broken down.
but to return to the decreasing
food supply Of the country. Because |
the total grain and food crops this
year exceeded by about billion
bushels the crops Of last year, we |
are apt to forget that last years
crops fell short Of the 1915 yield by
nearly 100000 bushels. This
years yield, therefore, does not near
fill up the vacuum created by the |
yield OF 1916. Moreover. while the
country has had large increase in
corn. much Of this cereal, mainly in
the West. was seriously damaged by
early frosts, and its feeding value |
has therefore been greatly decreased. |
There was also an enormous short !
age in the hay crop, amounting to |
about 100000 tons, as compared |
with 1916. The aggregate wheat |
and corn crops Of 1916 and 1917 |
was nearly 100000. 900 bushels less