The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1922-04-07

production from the soil thus re-
claimed would reduce the price Of the
products. Nothing could be farther
from the truth. Overproduction 10 not
q possibility. No less an authority
than DR.. Ball said. before the Agri-
cul tural Conferences:
The peak Of agricultural produc-
ton per capt. was passed in 1898
nearly quarter Of a century ago
Agricultural production almost kent
pace with population for some little
time after that date, but in the last
decade 1t has been steadily and ever
more rapidly falling. . No wonder
that when the secretary Of agriculture
stated that the United States pro-
duced Is per cent Of the wheat, s. per
cent OF the cotton, and Is per cent of
the corn OF the world. with only cne-
sixth OF Its population, the nation
should feel 1t was on firm founda-
ton and Its future, prosperity as
In the mean time. standing still IA
an agricultural producing nation for a
decade. our population has increased
fourteen millions. DIR. Bail further
says: 4
"What does this mean to the ma
tlon? It means a REORGANIZATION of
our entire national lie. 1t means that
the farmers interest in foreign mar
kets Will have disappeared. 1t means
that the price Of wheat in Chicago will
| be the price of wheat in Liyerpool.
Plus the cost OF moving it from Liver
| pool to Chicago. where now the price
IN chicago is the price in Liverpool
| less the cost of moving it there
seems to be centralized in what is
known as the corn belt. This corn
belt section Is standing in its own
light. Much Of the country's stock 10
finished with corn. If the West did
not produce feeder stock. Iowa. 1lli-
no's. Missouri. and the other corn bel t
states would lind a greatly reduced
market for this crop. The crop in
the irrigated section most responsible
for the development CT livestock and
the production Of finished
the central states il alfalfa. We need.
but do not ship. alfalfa in quantities.
The United States is a big importe. Of
wool. Alfalfa is raised in irrigated
sections To feed the sheep in winter.
In summer they are fed on the forest
reserves. Millions of acres ct forest
reserve would be useless as a wealth
producer If we did not have alfalfa to
feed in winter. We raise sugar, The
country Is big sugar importer There
Is not single crop tut wheat which
could even remotely be considered
competition. Let the statistician in
form you that the production is 80 in.
finitesimal in the worlds supply as to
make no impression. We are fast, in
deed. coming to special crops, because
our remcteness from market eats up
the. profits in staples and will not
bear the cost Of production. In one
irrigated section of the West. they
are raising long staple cotton Irc-
duced nowhere else in the United
States. The fruits raised in the West
are bringing comfort and pleasure to
the less fortunate sections of the
country.
Today we have but ten per cent of
the possible territory irrigable by the
government in cultivation. Yet if we
had all of it we would not add as
much as the farm area Of the state of
Indiana to the total agricultural area
of the United sites. At the same time
practically every dollar Of production
in this highly productive country
would go back to tho East for cash
purchases. making one of the most
stable markets in the world. While
We would add no more than the agri-
cultural area of Indiana to the farm
stretches of the Union. yet there
would be three times as great pop
ulation supported as within the state
Of Indiana.
We claim this development will ring
the cash register of the East. Better
say-we know it. Fifteen years ago
where Twin Falls. Idaho, is. was a
barren sa@ebrush desert. The site of
the town was g. miles from rail-
road. Last year the Twin Falls sec
ton sent So million dollars out OF
Idaho to purchase goods. I knew per-
sonally hundreds of farmers in Idaho
who had hand in spending th,. SO
millions, and l do not know one who
had as much to spend in his old en-
vironment.
Periodicals are flooded with sugges-
tons which would open up foreign
trade. We hear much of South Amer
lea Our political officers are deeply
| interested in this foreign trade. and
most big businesses have departments
with many employees working on .rade
extension. Yet the irrigated states of
| the West last year bought more than
all South America purchased from our
manufacturers and jobbers. No other
country. with the possible exception OF
Great Britain, begins to form the mar
ket the irrigated West does. If ran
a big business. would consider the
recl amation of the West as important
n diversion of NY sales development
as foreign trade.
| II we do not dcevlop our lands tc
produce food, and continually dror te
lower scale as food producing ma
ton. every one Of our cities in the
| East will lose in population in com
pariscn with what they might he II
we would produce more farm pro
ducts.
FARMERS UNION EXPLAINS ITSELF
-EXECUTIvE ASSERTS ORGANI
! ZATION Is WORKING FOR GOOI
OF ALI-CITY AND FARM.