Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-03-02
DEVELOP FARMS Or
IMPORT OUR FOOD.
DECLARES HOOVER

CHICAGO, Feb 2S.-Developmen
of agriculture to keep pace with the
development of industry is one of
the greatest reconstruction problems
facing the country, Herbert Hoover
declared here tonight in an address
neers. Industries are drawing work
ers from the farms, he pointed out,
and if we should develop our exports
of industries during the next five
years as rapidly as we have during
the last five years, we shall by that
time be faced with the necessity of
importing foodstuffs.
The problem Is more than an
economic one, he asserted, because
from dependence on overseas sup
plies for food we will be concerned
about their safety and find ourselves
discussing the domination of the
seas. Our international relations
will become more difficult, he said,
and unless the League of Nations
serves it's ideal. we will need to
burden ourselves with more taxation,
maintain great military and naval
forces and imperil the development
of our national life, which rests
in the spirit of our farms and sur
rounds our privileges"
Must Remedy Defects
Great as is the need for construc-
tive thought and action in regard
to the weakness Of our industrial re-
lations, he said, the need for SINH
lar thought and similar activ-
tty is still greater with re-
gard to agriculture" The agricul-
tural industry, he explained, must
be made economically attractive. This
can be accomplished, he declared, by
remedying the defects in our trans
portation and distribution systems.
Measures which he advocated to
bring this about include the devel'
opment of the waterways from the
Great Lakes to the Atlantic, replace
ment of special control or refr1g-
orator cars, stock yards and eleva-
tors by constructive public service;"
government regulation of the over
swollen units" of the produce bust
ness to provide free competition; CO.
operative marketing; reduction in in
flation, which he believes will les
son the excessive number of per-
sons engaged in food distribution;
standardization of products; exhaus-
tive investigation into our great ma
tional boards of trade, with view
to extending their legitimate func-
tions or preventing their abuse" and
development Of mechanical agricul-
tural equipment.
Great Lakes to Help
Mr.. Hoover expressed the belief
that the development of the Great
Lakes waterways would remove a
considerable portion of the peak load
on the trunk line railways during the
crop movement season when the
shortage of cars causes increased
delay and find employment for the
great mercantile fleet, which we
have created if the development was
carried out. He estimated the saw
ing in transportation of grain would
be five or six cents a bushel.
When concerns engaged in the
manufacture and sale of produce
reach such dimensions that they
can influence prices or dominate
public affairs either, with ,delibera-
ton or Innocence" he said, they
should be placed under regulation
and restrain int. Mr.. Hoover declared
that he was opposed. to government
ownership and expressed the belief
that the. test to be applied to deter
mine whether regulation was neces-
sary should be mot the size of the
institution or the volume of capital
that it employees, but the proportion
of the commodity that it controls in
it's operations a", -s
Calling attention to credit infla-
ton, he declared that eff we have
a WISE steady reduction in infla-
ton, it will be skillfully dealer who
escapes a reduction in the scale Of
profits" This deflation, he explain
ed should be made progressively and
with care in order that there shall
be- no sudden breaks with their re-
Isulting decentralization, unemploy-
mil