The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-02-27

MOVING TO TOWN:. have just attended a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce. There were probably one of the city present, and as soon as the cigar smoke got too thick I was alive to the fact that would be more comfortable elsewhere, as your youn- ster would express it, ''I ducked.'
 A brilliant young lawyer was ad- dressing the meeting and was p1ctur- ing in glowing terms the advantages to all if the population of the town was increased about 40 per cent, the doctors and dentists would have more patients, the merchants more patrons, the lawyers more clients and the banks more depositors. The real es- tate and insurance men would do more business and everybody would be prosperous and happy. He did not of course say anything about where the extra people were to come from neither did he say that with the in- creased population there would ap- pear as if by magic, more lawyers more doctors, dentists bankers, mer- chants or real estate men, neither did he tell us about all the other am- bilious towns and cities that were anxious to grow big. That were urg- ing their citizens to build houses for the people that were ready to come provided they could find house to live in.
 The forthcoming census report will probably show an enormous increase in city population and some increase in suburban population but not at all in proportion to the increase in the cities.
 What ic +Ioa ancxuor2 StriIres and then more strikes.
 Why? High cost of living
 Why? Moving to the city reduces the number of those producing food.
 It adds an equal number that must depend upon the remaining produc- CTS of food.
 Will the price of food increase and continue to increase? It will and not only that but there will be more strikes followed by more strikes un- til the cost of factory production gets above the highest price at which it's output can be sold and then will come shut down after shut down of factories until men walk the streets begging for work, at any wage that will give them bread.
 Those that know how to farm will retire to good kind old mother na- ture and again dig rood from her boHntiful and ever ready fountain The farmer will again be able to se- cure help in operating his food fac tory but the pay of the laborer on the farm will be less than now be- cause the supply of help will be more abundant and the price that the far mer can get for food will have de- creased.
 Yes, it is true there will be the same number of mouths to feed but through shut down factories and lack of wages the present spenders for all sorts of table luxuries will learn the hard lesson of economy and for the time at least they will buy only the foods that will keep the wolf from the door.
 The present condition should fix in our minds once for all the fact that a dollar. as such has no intrinsic value. A bushel of wheat remains just 60 pounds, and has just the same nourisfment when selling at $2.50, as it did when I have seen it sold for 35 cents. The humble potato and a head of cabbage have real value like the quart of milk or the pound of meat while the proud old English pound sterling" is worth only about one half as much as it was 5 years ago and will not procure for it's temporary possessor one fourth as much food.