Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-08-22
From Other Viewpoints
The Farm md Rendjustment.
ny ii. l.. RUSSELL, TiI. II.

Expansion is always eas%: contraction hard
Shrinking produces pressure; pressure fric-
t!on; friction. heat and then things boil over
whether in the physical social world
We are satisfied with wage increases with
Larger incomes. but Ne growl any reverse
movement
Under normal world conditions changes in
the economic and social structures are no, suf-
accnt!y violent 10 profoundly affect nankj,,J
normal adjustments War Is waste-expcnsc.
blood. treasure. backward slide Of c!v!liza-
ZION and with II comes reduced production in
creased costs. Inequalities in returns
We are through war. but now comes the
aftermath. The certainty Standardization
must follow Imitation. The question is how
rapidly viii II come?
The baAai cause Of the presen, situation is
our Inflated currency and The ACCOMPANYING
minated credit but to avoid trouble we rnust
get back 10 normal conditions gradually n
come one should cut the the total amount Of
.toisS ~! t"o over night or b? magic double
me amount OF commodities In existence panic
would cnsue and ruin result.
HIt X the period OF adjustment be gradual
IN" storm can best be wcathcred II ia c.,i.r
ana quicker 70 reach the ground from thc ION
~ ";-scraper BY stepping over the sid. OF
,ht building, but it is safer TO come down Nv
'hc stairs In the process Of dcca.lo, sh,i,
We come down the stairs go over INC TON" =
u contraction could be performed s!,uul;ann
"us!y throughout all industries reaGjus;ment
"""i" De cay, but the pinch is always nm :
equal Thc pressure is heavier on some AND
,ne,eiPfe discomfort obtains. The high cost
81 l!vinS mas replaced war on Tho ,n,.i " =
nc mart. Whether in the Pullman or me cnrncr
sfDtery are We even yet at the peak?
Inc peak turing primarily on the relation mr.
consumption TO production. IL demands eY .
Gceu Supply prices rise: otherwise ,ncv IAN
Inc fundamental situation as Ia food .n,o
Gates the war. Population has been ;ucr.,y
me 'or years faster than food Droduc, a.,
mere arc many more mouths TO consume th,n
haAus !" produce Earlier, America wa. ~
asf'cu!turaI nation. with two-,h!rds OF IL. non
u"t!oh a5 farmers. Now LEGS than one-thi,d
!!vas on the land " ''''u
hiH""sh the per capita production OF ,bc
american farmer IL the highest OF any nathan
INC RATIO OF tota! crop production to total non
u'at!oh ~ declining. From the Civil war IN
.A'l promotion exceeded population CROWN.
.huh !oT three years II declined. From 1894 10
i'V, again production Increased, but from Ia6S
10 the present time the line Of CONSUMPTION has
s'tAdi!: c'cpt up on The line Of production
"hrn thosc t"o lined cross the br.ad-II,.
Fehu!iA and trouble This WAS The an
p!""chIns condition when the war broke gu,
war with IT'S waste accumulated II. and A world
shortage OF food SIN EXITS. and az long az n,
docs food wi!l remain high.
We think food prices high here in this
country. but actually living costs are much
less in tho United States than In Europe But :
ter IN the United states Is rwico the pre-war
price. in Italy four tinen. in Belgium nye
tincs, and In France six times what IL Was bn-
fore tn. war.
Tho European situation continues untavor-
able LIST season Europe produced 80 per cen