Evening star., 1923-08-24
CAPITAL KEYNOTES
BY PAUL y. COLLINS

from the influence of the war. urging
farmers to put more of their acreage
into crops. and so they plowed up
their pasture land for grain. The
other expansion came in the semi
arid land west of the Tooth meridian.
which was converted from ranch land
into grain fields.
While the pasture land can be re-
seeded in grass, the same Is not true
of the semi-arid ranch land. When
that was in the native wild grasses,
for stock feeding. it was valued at
81 or So an acre; as wheat land 1t was
capitalized at $50 to $40 an acre. To
put II back now to pasture, even II 1t
were possible, would be TO lose the high
valuation and revert to IS an acre, which
means abandonment by most of the
holders. Besides. no tame grasses
will grow there. and 1t will take
generation for the native wild grasses
TO catch. 1t is that region which
faces the most serious crisis-ruined
for cattle. impossible for grain.
4 4
The principal ray of hope for the
farmer according to DIR. Gray. lies
in the Increase of world population,
with no increase of farmers. The
world population grows at the rate
of 20,000.000 a year-and that many
more mouths are to be fed.
The population of the United States
has not grown so rapidly in the dec
ade ended 1919 as in the preceding
decade. In the last decade il grew
IA per cent. while in the earlier period
ii grew 81 per cent. The falling off
in the last decade is attributed to the
war and the influenza epidemic. The
war decrease was not alone in the di-
rect casualties of the soldiers. but in
the suppression of immi grafton also.
From now on it is estimated that the
growth may get back to that of the
previous rate, except as curtailed by
restriction of immigration.
All this has n direct bearing on the
return of prosperity to the farmers.
They can no longer count on exports
for their profits. Europe is regaining
her productivity and her powers OF
competition in agriculture. Our
farmers must depend more and more
upon the prosperity of the home mar
ket for their profits.
X Il
There has been an apparent de-
crease in farm labor. yet the farmers
are handling fifty-seven acres each
in place of fifty acres. That indicates
the greater use Of labor-saving ma
chinery, which has Increased the eff
cheney of each farm Is per cent, even
in the face of decrease OF human
labor OF II per cent.
If there should be slump in indus
tries ana construction (as DR.. GRAY
predicts Will come in a few years.
then there will be a rapid return Of
farm labor back to the farms and
greater yields per farm than ever
perhaps third more.
How long the farmer-labor party
VIII hold together may be judged, ac-
cOrding 10 the department economists,
by the facts that labor is dependent
on wages-high wages-and farmers
are capitalists. whose interests lie in
cheap wages OF the men they hire.
The average capital invested In farms
in 1910 was ss.444. and IN 1920 II was
S12.0s4. The Iowa farms averaged, in
1920. S39,S4l. but that average has un-
douDtedly lowered in the last three
years, especially in Iowa.
The United States Senate believes
in prepa redness. That does not refer
TO the Navy nor to the Army. Not
even to the air service, but it has
reference to something closer home
than any of these. The new senator
from Minnesota. Magnus Johnson. is
former glassblower. and his lungs,
developed in blowing the glass, have
the calliope done TO whisper. In
anticipation of his few gentle re-
marks when his pet bills fail to pass
the senator's are fearful that he will
burst forth In the quiet of his Office,
and nobody wants to be- his neighbor.
lest he disturb the quiet meditations
and dictation in their own Offices
In consequence vacant room is
to be provided on each side OF Mag
nus. to serve as a sound buffer.
That does not relieve the Senate
chamber, nor even the cloakroomS,
where many Il nap has been taken
in times past. There will be no
amplifier installed in the Senate. but
if any inventor is clever enough to
provide a soft pedal sound reducer, IL
will be welcomed for adjustment over
and under the seat of Magnus. The
press gallery may be protected by
cotton -imbedded partitions. but up 10
date the members on the floor, in
cluding the President pro tempore.
ara at the mercy Of the statesman
giasSblower.
Copyright. 1929, by Paul v Co!lins.)