The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-06-08
Editorial
of the Day
(Nrom MANUFACTURING Record


In Washington some people have
been suggesting that in order 20 reduce
the cost of foodstuffs, an embargo be
placed on expectation of grain ana
meats. DO these people not realize
that the moment the price of farm
products is driven down below the
cost OF production the farmer Will
steadily decrease his cultivated acre
age and hasten the day when fooI
famine, greater than the public mas
any conception of. will be upon us??
1t is absolutely certain that this
years food products will be very
short. The winter wheat crop is 80
percent short of last years yield, and
the rye crop shows, by present indl-
cations, about the same decline. Other
crops will be short, for the labor
is not available for the cultivation
of as much land as was formerly given
to food products
We have ignored the farmers needs.
we nave Nlelutu " Ailc NSAiohuS -
industrial workers for an eight-hour
day and given them steadily advancing
wages and we have told the farm
laborer that by quitting his job and
coming to the city he can cut his
hours Of labor almost half and at
least double the amount Of wages re'
ceiyed.
Does anybody suppose that the farm
laborer under these circumstances is
going to stay on the farm?
Can anyone imagine that the farmer
boy will continue to work with the
drudgery Of farm life from day-break
TO dark when, by leaving the farm,
he can get twice as much pay for half
the hours OF work, and then have all
the allurements Of city life, which
appeal so nightly to the young?
And then when one talks about
an embargo on shipments of foodstuffs
does he realize that the farmer will
have something to say on that sub
ject and will demand his rights SC
that no embargo shall be placed on
his products unless an embargo also
| be placed on cotton and iron and stee
| and lumber and everything that VIC
are now exporting? What is sauce fol
the goose should be equally as good
sauce for the gander.
He who talks about an embargo on
| shipments of farm products in order
to reduce the cost of foodstuffs fol
| the American people is only arguing
/ in favor of famine of food which
would stagger the nation. Let US face
the facts squarely and honestly.
For many years. due to the trent
OF the population from the farm to the
city, there has been in evidence a de
cline in the per capita production n
food and the end is not yet II
sight. We are facing very danger
Gus food situation, and the best brain!
of the nation should be concentrated
upon the development of agriculture
that it may be made as prosperous az
merchandising or manufacturing in the
city. so that the farm laborer may ge
as high wages as the city laborer
relative to the cost of living, or other
wise we soon will reach a point wher
we shall have to search the worlt
for food to add to our own scant!
production And yet we have a sol
which in extent and fertility ought t
be able to feed five times our presen
nopuIation huf IL will not feed oil
existing population unless the countr!
soon comes TO a realization Of tn,
whole situation and ceases to figh
profitable price for the farmer, and
to add TO the comforts of the farm
and in that way help to turn tn
tide back from the city to the country
In that is our only safety