White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1927-12-30

of both land and labor. Tractors
have Lep!aced many horses and
mules, releasing land for other uses
than the production Of feel and for
age. Improved harvesting machinery
Of the average farm has increased.
More productive crops have been
planted. Livestock of increased pro-
cuctivity has become widely dispers-
ed. Farm management has become
more efficient, a better balance has
been established among agricultural
enterprises, and progress has been
made in adjusting production tc mar
ket requirements. The result is an in
crease in farm production more rapid
than the rise in the country's popu-
lation. +
From 1919 to 1924 there was
decrease of 100000 acres in crop
land in the United States-the first
deo-eas. ever shown by census sta
tistics in the agricultural area of the
time a decrease in the number of
farm animals, decreas in the num-
ber of farms, and decrease of farm
population Under such circum-
stances one would hardly exIect an
increase in the volume of farm pro-
duction. Yet an increase took place,
and very substantial one. It is
estimated that crop production in
the period 1922 to 1926 was nearly
per cent greater than in the, period
1917 to 1921, although the aggregate
acreage in crops decreased slightly.
LikewilIe, the output of animal prod
ucts is estimated to have increased
fully IS per cent. The Increased
productivity of the farm worker is
estimated at about is per cent. This
increase in labor efficiency, probably
never before equaled, is attributable
in part to the utilization Of more
productive livestock = and crops, in
part to the increased uEle of machin-
cry and power on the farm.
Ali this technical p rogress has
raised TIKI, question of the relation
between increased efficiency and the
prices of farm products. 1t has
b'een suggested that the advantage
Of increased efficiency to the farmer
may be largely offset through in
creased total output and reduced
prices per unit of product. This is
a problem which demands considera-
ton. 1t may sharpen the necessity
for a t'.tter adjustment. of production
in agriculture and for better re-
lationship between agricultural
population and other groups. There
can not however, be any justiiica-
ton for lessening the effort to at
tain increased efficiency. Sue. ef-
fort may return Diminishing total
rewst:cI as the percentage of eff
cient producers increases, but the
gain probably never vanishes alto
gether, and for th> pioneer in eff
cheney it is shbstattial. ~ Efficient
methods have to be applied almost
universally before their benefit goes
mainly to the consumer. In, the case
cf crops like Gotten and wheat the
prices Of which are determined lii
the world market, it is especially
important that the highest possible
level of efficiency be maintained by
American farmers. Undoubtedly,
however, progress in efficiency which
CAUSES production to keep pace with
or to outstrip consumption calls fcc
compensating adjustments in our
agricultural system. Under present
conditions it is probably unwise to
tring more land into use, and l
shall have more to say on this qu'es-
ton later. While continuing our
efforts to obtain increased rroduc-
tivity per worker, we should do
what is possible to prevent unneces-
sary expansion of crop acreage and
to increase the income of. agriculture
by better adjustment of production
,p<1 y,,arketioo