The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-09-08
HARDING PLEDGES
TO HELP FARMER

| peopie that AT tHis particular time any
one should quote this saying OF a wise
old Chinese. Never In all our history
| have prices OF farm products ruled so
! high. measured in dollars, as during the
! past four years. Farm land in the great
! surplus-producing states has advanced
/ TO unheard-of prices, with every indi-
cation that, but for the tight money
| conditions, 1t would 20 still higher. Ap-
| parently the farmers Of the land are en-
Joying unprecedented prosperity. Why
then, even by implication. suggest that
| something may be wrong with our agri-
| culture, and that the trouble may be
communicated to our manufacturers
| and commerce? PC. pie in the cities
where food is selling AZ such high prices,
and not in the country where the food
is produced. But 10th farm and city
students of national problems see in
the present agricultural situation GER
tain conditions which give cause for
real concern TO every lover OF his
tountry.
intelligent Discussion.
An intelligent discussion OF our agri-
culture at the present time must take
note of what has happened since the
middle OF the last century. At that
time fine rural civilization had been
built up east Of the Mississippi river,
with Ohio in the heart OF the corn belt
tion to the agriculture of that day that
Iowa stands today. The agricultural
frontier had been pushed beyond the
Mississippi. and abundant food was be-
ing raised to support the growing in
dustrial life of the east.
Then came the Civil war, and follow
ing 1t the great western migration into
the fertile open plains OF what Is now
stead law the government gave farm
Of the richest land in the world to
every man who wanted one. Railroads
were built. the prairies were plowed
up, and almost over night the agricul-
tural production of the United States
increased by 50 per cent. Grains were
produced and sold at the bare cost
OF utilzing the soil, and the farmers
of the older states to the east were
smothered by this flood of cheap grain,
The only thing that could be done with
this super-abundance of food was to
build cities out of 1t. And great cities
We did build not only in the United
States. but across the seas. The world
never see. such terrific impulse
toward city building on a vast scale
as that which was given by the over
production of farm products during the |
latter part Of the nineteenth century |
and the first few years of the twentieth. |
Farm Grown Imports Increase.
What are ordinary duh statistics will |
strikingly illumne the situation WHICH |
| have been trying to convey. In tht |
decade from 1900 to 1910 the city pop
ulation of the United States increased |
S5 per cent. while the rural popuat ion |
Increased only II per cent The num- |
ber of farm utilities probably increased |
less, but we do know officially that the |
city population increased more than |
three times as rapidly as the rural
complete for the decade ending this
year, hut sufficient reports have been |
published to give ns very dependable |
estimate. The indications are that no
increase win be shown in the number |
Of farms and no increase In strictly |
farm population: In all probability,
dating from 1920, we shan estimate our
farm population as 80 per cent. of tho
whole while the urban population win
make up the other 70 per cent.
Another interesting fact to reveal the |
danger in changing conditions. Only |
a few decades ago. indeed from the |
very beginning. the exports OF the |
United States were oilrgrown, or farm
most of our imports were manufac-
tured articles. In the, last half century, |
year after. year the exports Of farm
grown products have ACKNOWLEDGMENT |
Of manufactured products have in
creased until again We are rapidly |
reaching the zero mark from the stand |
point of agricultural supplies to the |
WOrIO. fLACn year our imports bHONs
larger quantities of farm grown prod
ucts and the time is almost with us |
when the imports of farm-grown prod
ucts will exceed the exports, in short, |
when our farm population will not be
supplying the products necessary for
our own people.
Forced to Grinding Economy
The farmer suffered during this
changing period. Overproduction means
low prices, and he reproduced with
a vengeance, though 1t was an inevt-
able part of the scheme of American
development. He was obliged to prac-
tice grinding economy, and to 1--we as
far as possible from his own acres. He
did live essentially within his own
productivity. and' the farm was the
factory for the agricultural home.
tSs WAS Mspy a1d
especially the ambitious boys, aban.
doned themselves to the growing popu-
lation of the cities. driven by the hard
ships of the farm and attracted by the
greater rewards offered by the cities.
BY 1905, 1t was becoming apparent
that the consuming power of the cities
and Industrial centers would soon pe
large enough to equalize the produc-
ing power of the farms. Prices OF farm
products began to advance, and with
this advance came an increase In the
price of farm land. Improved ma
chinery increased the number OF acres
one man could farm. thereby decreas-
ing his cost Of production. The eT-
preston farm poor" was no longer
heard. Men who had not secured farms
of their own began to seek them ana
the march to the west and northwest
was resumed. Irrigation projects were
started and the homestead law maze
more liberal In order to make the set
tlemcnt of the semi arid country more
attractive. New areas Of government
land were opened for entry.
Demand for Increased Production
In the meantime, the consuming pun
lie had become coRcerned over INC
prospect of paying higher prices Tor
foodstuffs. Cities and Industrial cen
tors had been built up on Tidlculously
cheap food; indeed, their building was
values. Then the increase IN price
called for readjustment and required
wage advances. Organizations OF clty
business men began to take an Interest
in farm affairs and preach the duty oI
increased production. The DacN 10
the land cry began to be heard, IN
creased appropriations by congress anu
by state legislatures were maue 70
stimulate better methods OF thrm!hk
and thus increase production w Inc Lhe
hope of keeping down food prices. nc
r lral uplift movement was started Wltn
the thought that. by making cohu't its
tn the farm more attractive the urn
from the farm 10 the city might 3e
checked. The work of agriculture @ Col
leges WAS strengthened by the addltion
Of extension departments, the functlon
OF which is 10 take the teaching OF
better methods Of farming ana sl0Ch
growing into the counties and smaher
communities. and especially 10 stimu-
late an interest in farming an'ong tne
boys and girls All sorts OF eHorts
were made to check the DRIFT from the
farm to the city, and to maintain tarn'
production.
In truth, here In America, farming
came to that stage where II ceased 20
he a mere struggle for sustenance. ana
Il found its place amid the compeutoh
for achievement n was no longer the
inherently directed operation with th'