Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-03-12

less than one-ffth of our corn crop would supply
US with all the cereal we needed If had no wheat
at all.
Our yearly percapita consumption OF grasss
normally consists of about four and a half bushes
OF wheat and one bushels of If would eat
enough cornmeal to make this three and half bush
els of wheat and two bushels of corn the problem Of
feeding the allies until the next harvest would be
an easy one. So that the sacrifices called
upon to make trivial beside those of the Eu-
ropean peoples, and also in comparison to the mag
ntude and significance of the world event of which
they form part. AS Senator John Sharp Williams
says we have barely put front toe into the
so far He might have added that nevertheless
squea every time is in danger of being stepped
Some OF the corn crop, of course, will probably
be lost The western elevators cannot get the cars
necessary to move their grain. This will result in
the loss of much soft corn but the loss will be small
compared to the size of the crop.
There are several factors that will tend to nti-
gate the wheat shortage to Just what exent cannot
yet be stated. Some of the ships which have OBJ
tanned from the Dutch government the condition
that they are not used in the barred zones will be
employed in bringing wheat from the Argentine.
Sailing vessels which also kept of the barred
zone, will bring wheat from Australia to the west
states!
The privations of a few weeks of wheat short
will be further ameliorated by the increased meat
supply which has been promised by the food admin
istration; for if people have abundant meat they
need and will less grain, and vice versa.
This extra supply of meat is allowed to reach
the market primarily a concession to the farm
The food administration is frank about this.
When the farmers were called upon to produce
meat they responded. They kept on their
FARMS at heavy expense for feed, brood animals
which they could much proftably have sold.
They greatly increased the nations store of live
stock. Then owing to the shortage, and the
employment of transportation in moving grain, they
unable to get their stock to market The
suit that they had to go on feeding the stock
at heavy expense Now the midwestern feeding
farms full of cattle, sheep and hogs Of fine
weight and condition. Many of these have already
eaten up the profit which the farmer might other
wise have made from them. The farmers face
heavy loss unless this stock is gotten to market
Therefore the food administration has modified it's
meatess day regulation, and is going to facilitate the
movement of these meat animals to market. For
a time there will be more meat and better meat in
the market than for many months. Prices will
not come down much, for the food administration
feels obligated to let the farmer make good
price as possible. The abundance of meat, however
will make overcharges by retailers more rare. There
will probably be some slight drops in prices, espec
tally Of bacon.
This abundance of meat is necessarily temper
airy. AS soon the condition of the farmers Is
relived conservative of meats will again be in
augurated so that surplus may be built up.