New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-10-22

iegisldtion Tor Inc navy u recon
mend Increases in the navy, new bat
tleships and improvements in nav
yards. ETC.. but such proposed legisla
ton must have the approval Of the
committee on appropriations after tina
committee shall have looked over the
governments financial situation to sec
whether the money to pay for such
things can be made available. The
same will apply to the committees OF
agriculture, post offices and Indian af'
fairs, which in the past have reported
appropriation bills, as well as other
legislation affecting the interests as
signed to them.
Money should be saved under this
new arrangement. 1t Is, of course,
such a business arrangement as any
w~ell-organized corporation would use.
Its great advantage will be that the
appropriation of the peoples money
will be kept In the one channel. So
long as eight committees were author
lied TO report appropriation bills. IT
was inevitable that there would be
many Implications. Unfortunately for
the welfare of the government there
was always more or less friction be-
i tween these eight committees.
Will Pass Budget Bill Again.
1t is generally assumed that one of
the first acts of congress when 1t
comes back In December will provide
for a budget system. 1t will be re-
called that last spring the legislative
body passed a budget bin and sent 1t
to President Wilson, who vetoed II,
not because he objected to the sys-
TEN, for he had repeatedly recon-
mended that budget Legislation be en-
acted, but because, in his judgment, II
attempted TO restrict executive author
ity. The house promptly made the cor
rection in the bill which the president
asked for. and repassed II, but the
senate in its hurry to get away for
the convention season failed to act on
the new bill. II is unfortunate. of
course, that the estimates and appro-
priations for the mex fiscal year will
not be made under the budget system.
u tAC CONCENTRATION VI NbC WIN Va
reporting appropriation bills will give
congress an opportunity to do better
work In dealing with appropriations
than heretofore.
Farm Population Drained.
Edwin T. Meredith, secretary Of
agriculture, says that the higher
wages paid In industries. the short
er hours, the convenieneces and other
advantages of city life, have drained
the farm population. especially in
the vicinity Of large manufacture
ing centers, almost to the danger
point. The supply Of farm labor was
81 per cent below estimated require
ments last spring. The acreage to be
harvested In food crops this season is
about IL per cent less than last year.
Only n favorable season and much
more than eight hours a day labor by
farmers and their families have. the
secretary says, made possible the
crops this year. A continued
reduction of the farm labor supply
conditions which make II i'm
for farmers to compete on
equal terms with other industries, in
with an u%nfavorable sea-
son, will result In reduced production
Of many crops, which will naturally
about high prices OF food in
and add greatly to Industrial
problems, he asserts.
ut should be borne in mind that aft
er the season has progressed beyond
time, no power on earth can
Increase the production OF food and
Jaw material on farms beyond the ca
)acity of the acreage already plant
d." said the secretary in discussing
his subject. "In other words. a whole
year or more is involved In the prep
Of the soil and In seeding and
harvesting. and. therefore, to insure
hat an adequate acreage is planted TO
an ample production In an
season, farm prices must be
stabilized as to hold out to the
armer a reasonable prospect that, at
he close Of the crop season, he will
Ind a ready market at prices which
viii compensate him for his labor and
Investment"
Farmer Must Get Adequate Prlcss.
Secretary Meredith says that the
armer must receive adequate prices
or his products. prices which will en-
BILE him to continue to produce, to Sc
ure a reasonable return for his ef-
orts. and to maintain a satisfactory
tandard Of living for himself and for
In family.
There may be people who think !
only the farmer is adversely AZ :
ected IL he fails to secure adequate !
said he. "If the farmer stops
reducing he will suffer, Of course {
ut the manufacturer and the mer- !
liant and the banker will suffer just ]
5 severely, and possibly more so. And q
he farmer will not keep on producing J
1equately unless he receives fair $
for his efYorts-uniess c
e can maintain his family in approx Q
ately the same degree OF comfort I
lat the city family enjoys. Every c
man. of course, is Interested
keeping the farmer on the farm and n
having the farm operated to its req v
'nable capacity, turning as much as $
,ssible into the channels Of trade. b
anufacture and transportation, and
is means, Of course. that every bust II
IS man should be vitality interested :
seeing that the farmer gets fair =
eatment In the marketing Of his :,
'oducts." :