Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1921-01-06

fore the open Forum IN Dallas yes
.erday. quoted figures 90 compare tho
yalues Of several staple farm crops in
1918 and 1890 and 10 show that farm
products for November were 9i per
cent below the level Of one year ago.
while the decrease IN general c0mmod.
titles was only 10 par cent below that
Of year ago. This dlspamgug d..
cline Of agricultural products with
other founs ~ production be- sail.
has produced effects that the nation
viii feel for many years. u was un.
derstood that the farmer would shlr'
IN the process Of dcflation bat 'hc
extent and rapidly OF u were inc1n.
oelvahle. Prevailing prices Of farm
products are below the prices justified
by the economic demand
As result u this great disparity.
DIT. niEzell said he could "sce slrns OF
a great agrarian movement 81 great
significance. The farmers ~ tho cuu1.
try are determined a. SECURE % them
selves the fun fruits ~ their own on.
doavors They have become fully
aware ~ their political and economic
strength. They are now thinking out
means for making their strength g.
fectlye. social and polltical organize.
ton. cooper,tiye marketing NJ farm
comnioiitles. and larger control q
credit agencies are some ~ the means
that are certain 90 h. used In accom-.
plishing this object, \ writer IN q o..
cent magazine article has given sN.
precision 10 n prophecy that I think
Will soon ~ fulfilled Tho farmer IL
on his way. When h. T. ~ numcr
Gus. wealthy and intelligent rs he b.
IN the grain growing states h. il 90
INK to arrive. ] do no; think anything
can prevent his setting up and main.
taining. whether b. economic action or
political. or both. a force 81 his own
20 balance the economic power Of prl.
vate business and Industry
There II nothing 10 indicate that
We have Reached the stage OF economic
retrogression. Production still exceeds
consumption which insurcs Il. con
tinuance % economic progress for the
present. But we would b. a short.
sighted people II We think We can is.
more the influences that arr retarding
Production without ultimately paying
the price for our shortsighicdnsss
1T must not b. forgotten that the
fnrmer IL not only a producer-he q
a producer OF necessities. The nations
vitality r. measured In terms 81 bush.
cs and pounds 81 the earth's harvest
Economists classify agriculture as a
4fnetic industry. that u. one that IL
basic or fundamental. Manufacturing.
transportation and merchandising arr
riassed as secondary industries. This
Classification IL sound because agricul.
f1ral production Il the controlling fac.
tor In All other e,opomic enterprises.
Therefore there car h. no valid
reason why the same expenditure al
energy. Initiative and intelligence
should not produce as much profit
when applied 10 agricultural produc.
ton AZ 90 production In any other en-.
trprise. Agriculture should BE- the
most profitable. rather than the ieas;
profitable Of all vacations. We mus,
come 10 think In terms OF similar
Standards Of living both for urban and
rural dweiiers But m order 10 DO 20
We must think In terms Of two dollar
wheat and iece'7t cotton and all other
hrm products In proportion.
The Rural situation.
The public mind II In great con.
fusion about the rdral situation. Pom.
uiAr views range from extreme pes.
simism on the one hand 10 UNJUST.
fable optimism on the other. There
are those who see In rural depletion
the dieintegration 81 productive en-.
t"rprise. Others point 20 unprece.
dentcd yields Of field crops and tho
aonorrnaily high prices OF farm prod
ucis during the war period a. evldenc,
that the rural economic situation Is on
a sound tasis.
The facts are difficult 90 analyze
There are economic paradoxes IN our
rural situation. But II II impossible
for student who II capable % inter
preting statistical data or applying
sound principles Of economic science Il
escape the conclusion that all Il M,
Tel with our basic industry.
n The following facts deserve on,
careful /, consideration: ~ The total
population OF the country Il increasing
ouch faster than the rural popull
ron. ca The urban population h In
freasing much faster than the rur,l
population. 90 The return on caplt,'
ssSrseed IN agricultural enterprise /.
resafireiy. much smaller than that in
vested IN commercial enterprises. a
The relatively small Increase In IN,
number % farms In the United state,
and the actual decrease In many state,
indicate that the abandoned farm area
has been greatly enlarged during N,
past ten years.
1T Il obvious that these influences
tend 10 retard agricultural produc,lo,
III they are not counieracted they mus,
certainly lead ultimately 10 economl,
retrogresslon. The statistical facts. IN
which the above gcncmliations ar.
based wall reveal the real signiflcanc,
OF this situation.
In the last decade the Agriculture,
population has increased only n u,,l.
more than oneflf,h as fast az the TO
tai population.
The rapid Increase IN the consun,
ing public II more accurately ind
Gated by the general shift IN tn, p0pn
htion. In 1910 the rural popuiatiot
exceeded the uriun population D.,
100000 people. This situation Ia,
been reversed during tho pas, docide
Iodas The urban population cxc.ed
M rural population by 1000 600 pco
pie.
In ether words the 10 o5i .ss3 agrl
cultural Producers are required z.
supply food for an urban population
OF 5s.Ni5.eo0. In 1850 each 100 farm
ers had e feed themselves and -
other persons; IN 1900 thems.Ies an,
~ other persons and IN 1890 them