Imperial Valley press., 1919-01-08

experience on farms or had peculiar love for
the country and for the soil which made success
possible. And it goes without saying that they
were thinkers and planners.
But the tendency is away from the farms and
not toward them. 1t used to be urged that when
prices became sufficiently high for foods, men
would be driven to the country as a matter of
necessity.
But with eggs at 65 cents dozen and butter
at 70 cents pound, one might conclude that the
drift toward the land would start if it were ever
going to do so.
But the fact is that our industrial undertak-
ings have been so successful that it has been diff
ficult to find men enough to man all our factories,
and the wage scale has steadily assembled
However, a new situation presents itself.
There are more men than there are
places in the cities to give them employment.
If the prices of farm produce remain where
they are and the industries of the country do not
resume operation in large way before spring.
it will not be surprising if there is really sub
stantial movement back to the land at that time
1t will not be a matter of choice, but it may
be a matter of necessity.
And no one can say it will not be the best
thing which could happen to America if it should
prove to be the case. If ten million men, women
and children were to drift out to the country
next year and busy themselves producing grains,
vegetables and fruits the world would be far
better off than it would be with them engaged in
industrial positions.
These movements are always slow and it is
well of course that they are. Only certain per
cent of men could be profitably absorbed by the
country in given year, and those without pre-
vious experience should work for several years
under men trained in farm work and in the
necessary knowledge of country life
This great problem may possibly partly solve
itself if the demand for manufactured goods is
not as brisk as many men believe it is going to
be after the war.
The country with its cleanliness, it's cheerful
aspect, its wholesome comradeship, its health
giving atmosphere invites many who are quail
fed to do justice to the tasks there to be found
The man who is driven back to Eden may
be the lucky one, and the chap who remains in
the great city with his job may lose the oppor-
tunity to become a land owner and business
man on his own account independent and pros
porous.
But it takes activity, ingenuity, hard work
Willingness to work long hours, and wits to sue
ceed on the farm. There is no royal road to sue
cess. It is the ability to apply ones self and to
| work intelligently that counts in the country as
elsewhere. 1t Is technical business and not
everyone can succeed at it.
The war has completely dislocated business
| industry and employment. Factories throughout
! the country have suddenly found themselves with
| cancelled orders The wheels have had to be
| stopped and there is now period of transition
| What Of the future?
If the world needs enough industrial products
| o keep all these wheels turning, the readiust-
nent will not be tedious nor costly But if we
| ind the demand restricted the possibilities of
he soil may make a fresh appeal that has not
heretofore reached out with sufficient force to
| grip men and arrest their attention.
We decline to assume the role of prognosti-
| cator, but we can at least see possibility. Those
who pretend to see more must merely be guess
ing.