The Arizona copper camp., 1920-06-05
MEANING Of FOOD SHORTAGE Is
EXPLAINED; CROP REPORTS TELL
OF COMING LACK OF .FOODSTUFFS
UNITED STATES FACING SERIOUS SITUATION
AS RESULT OF REDUCED ACREAGE; FARM
LABOR IMPOSSIBLE TO SECURE, CITY
JEWELLERS MUST PAY MORE.


as to the seriousness of the world
food situation, says the Boston Com
mereial. The crops recently harvested
in South Africa and Australia show
reduction of from 25 to 35 per cent
from 1919 Argentina's grain produc-
ton shows a relatively small increase.
Agriculture in Russia is still demoral-
lied, and the best Europe can be ex-
pected to do is to increase the per-
centage OF foodstuffs raised at home.
In United States, agitation to re-
duce the cost Of living is having it's
natural result Every report that
comes to hand tells the same story
farmers are ceasing to strive. They
are cultivating fewer acres, keeping
a smaller number of farm animals,
and hiring less help.
Supplementing this universal deter
mination to produce less till city peo-
pie are willing to pay higher prices
such as will make farming an at
tractive occupation-a number of
other influences are at work.
All over the country the weather
has been backward, cold and wet.
Farm labor is scarce, inefficient, ex-
pensiye and willing to work only
few hours a day Seeds, fertilizers,
implements horses and everything
else the farmer uses are discourag-
ingly high, and transportation condi-
tions make their delivery uncertain.
Money is high and difficult to obtain
In short, every time the farmer sets
out to do anything he is confronted
with such an array Of disheartening
obstacles that he soon decides to fol-
low the course of least resistance.
Same All over the Country
It is mistake to think that these
conditions pertain only in New Eng
land. OF course the labor situation is
more serious around the industrial
centers. The farm population has de-
creased faster, and agricultural dis
content has grown constantly more
pronounced In the industrial dis
tricts Of New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, West Virginia and the
west the same situation exists.
An association of Kansas wheat
producers has worked out some sta
tistical material TO show that the aver
age cost Of raising busheI of grain
last year was considerably more than
the average price realized. The Farm
ers' Non-Partisan League attests to
the discomfort of the northwest The
drop in the price Of pork and fats has
/ led TO a smaller corn acreage, and
the poor demand for beef cattle has
resulted in a smaller range popula-
ton
The most cheerful report that has
come from the department of agricul-
ture is that conditions in few
states are mot quite as bad
Secretary Meredith estimates that
the farmers of this country are ex-
| periencing a labor shortage Of 2,000,-
000 men. This must not be. taken TO
mean that the farmers would hire
100000 more men, but that there
are 100000 less men farming than
there ought to be. There are no
more farm laborers in the country
than there were when the United
States had 100000 men under arms
An interesting sidelight on the la
bor situation is seen in the increase
in hay acreage In spite of the I'M
heard Of prices of grass seed food
crop lands are being seeded down in
every state inN the Union. Hay is
high and it requires little labor to
raise it.
Present indications are that the
wheat crop viii be 46 per cent less
than in 1919 and "a per cent less than
the fiye-year average +(1915-1919) In
other words. for every 100 loavos of
bread produced in 1919, the farmers
will produce only 81 in 1920
While large acreages have been
abandoned because of winter killing,
it VIII be remembered that the De
cember report of the department Of
agriculture showed reduction in the
winter wheat area planted to slightly
under q per cent There. is little
likelihood OF any considerable recov-
cry through The spring wheat crop.
Ii is always uncertain, and in late
4! RI. M. WHITAKER
Member, American Association (?
Engineers
Il. S. Mineral Surveyor
4? Mining, Road G. General Surveying
y q RoY No i2