The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-09-11
THE SOUTHEAST AND HIGH FOOD
PRICES
Times Union

Times
The most vital question of the dav is the high
cost of living We flood of views on the
reasons therefore and the remedies apply. c.
Lyman Spencer, the Sugar Apostle of Florida has
an article bearing thereupon in the August number
OF the Florida Planter, monthly magazine pub
lished at Fort Myers devoted to the sugar cues
tion especially it relates development of the
sugar industry in this state. The Low Cost of
Foodstuffs of the Southeast" Mr. Spencer presents
some ideas which are rather but which seem
10 us to have foundation which cannot be sue
cessfully assailed.
The writer seem inclined to joni in
the hue and against the o-caed trusts or to
find the exasperating increases in the foods
entirely due to profiteering. He proceeds to ana
we the situation to discover whether there may
not be some very important for the situa-
ton which have been overlooked. He shows con-
cusively, believe. the attention paid to pro-
duction in the semi-arid sections the far west
by both the government and private capital has
been practically waste of money and effort as
the failure to meet the present crisis shows: that
even the northern sections to the markets
and capable of raising crops at less expense cam
not today fully and tomorrow will less able to
provide for the constantly increasing population of
upon for more than crop a year; that the soil
and climate of the southeast could be depended
upon to greatly mitigate the distressing conditions
II not entirely remove the causes if one thing could
be supplied-better marketing facilities
When these are provided enormous quantities
of staple food products will available for ship
ment TO northern markets and to Europe.
the prices of foodstuffs will be lowered" in the
opinion of Mr.. Spencer. There are facts which IL
lustrate this statement and Mr.. Spencer supplies
them;
Wherever in the Southeast these marketing
facilities have been provided increased pro-
ducton of staple foods quickly followed
For example. southern cotton oil mills now
produce from the cotton seed and the Spanish
peanut more vegetable oil than all the of
the world combined, one-third of which goes
into United States lard compounds-the south
vegetable oil industry should be greatly
extended. A few years ago the Chicago pack
erected packing houses stock yards
Florida and other southeastern states and since
that time live stock industry has made
wonderful growth.
Some of the millions expended in trying to
make farms in the semi-arid parts of the western
states would have been better used if employed in
encouraging southeastern farmers to do their best
by widening their markets. fact obvious that
real craftsmanship rising superior to preju-
dice. would have perceived it long ago However
this is our own idea of the matter, that of Mr.
Spencer, who says that:
All that is needed to establish tn Unnecessary
marketing facilities is large cap
ital. Unfortunately attacks the packers and
proposed government regulation tend to dis
courage the investment of large capital when it
is most needed in food production. However
until those facilities provided we can
sonably expect upward trend of food prices
from year to year. Since only our indus
trial prosperity, but the nations annual birth
rate and man-power is dependent upon lower
food costs. the most important problem the
United States at this time would seem to
provide method establishing marketing
facilities for southeastern foodstuffs preferably
through private capital
While the mere politician wiz seek to gain
glory and support through bringing about speedy
fall of the price of foods level, even if
that price is rebound later a higher one. the
statesman will study the increasing per-
manently the supply that the of living may
be maintained continually at the lower level with
as little fluctuation possible