The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1921-02-18
NATION IN DANGER
Farm Abandonment Has Created
Most Serious Situation.
Food Supply Threatened Through the
Drift of the Population to the
Cities-Now Is Great Opportu-
nifty 70 Take Up Land.

The question. How is the country
10 drift 10 The cities?' is one that
should create an agitation that viii
bring about n reply that VIII mean a
solution. The census. recently COM
pleted. reveals n situation truly alarm
ing. one that has never been known
In the United States before. The ur-
ban population Is now greater than
that Of the rural districts by about
100000. Cities and towns, each with
more than $500 inhabitants, contain
54,31S.032 persons. or 51.4 per cent Of
the total population. while the farms
and smaller towns together claim only
81 300. 739 persons. or 1876 per cent OF
the total.
AS is pointed out by an influential
Chicago daily. "the drift TO the cities
is thus proved and. reduced 10 figures,
showing n top-heavy condition OF the
industrial life"
Farming is and must remain the
basic industry Of the world. and GER
tninly should remain the basic indus
try Of a nation with continental
area like ours. II is small profit TO
gain the markets Of the world with
manufactured goods II agriculture has
decayed so badly as 10 furnish an I'M
certain subsistence for our people. and
fuctuating crops are reflected in price
changes that upset the economic life
OF the country. Yet we are within
measurable distance OF that condition.
II the present or recent drift toward
the cities continues.
Most writer's on this topic take :,
for granted that young folks go from
farms 10 cities merely to make more
money. Doubtless that is something
Of motive at all times and was n
very strong one in the period imme-
diately after the war, when city indus
tries paid wages totally impossible for
farmers 10 rival.
II Is hoped that this drifting has,
reached It's apex. Unless il has. and
there still remains n possibility of its
continuance, the effect cannot be fore
told. The great wave of manufactures
for war purposes has ceased. and with
II the number of those employed in
factories is diminishing by thousands
daily. II Is therefore hoped that there
will again be heard the slogan. For
ward 10 the Land" If prices to which
farm land has reached are prices pro
hibitive TO many, the opportunity is
still open elsewhere. There are states
possessing large areas of good land
that may still be had at prices within
the reach of many. and II is doubtless
true that in self-preservation Ii will
be necessary to bring these lands IN
der cultivation. The prices are not
high, considering their value. Then.
too. there are the lands of Western
Canada. that hold out an inviting pros
pect Reports from there show that
the prosperity of the farmers there is
not mythical. Farming there is con-
Quoted on scientific principles, and
the climate is such rs appeals. The
production amply repays all the ex-
pendlture that may be made The
social conditions are of Il character
that make farm life n pleasure. and
tends 10 keep the young man and
young woman from pining for urban
life with 50 many drawbacks. If con
ditions rs above mentioned. showing
such n large percentage of population
In the cities and towns, continues. they
will require food. The opportunity to
supply II is by the means suggested
Go forward 70 the farm. become in
dependent. and become a factor in
supplying the worlds needs i'm cattle.
sheep, grain and such other commo-
dities rs the farm will produce and
the resident of the city requires
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