Nogales international., 1927-06-24
FARMS AND MACHINES.
OIL WASTE-PAY LATER
OUR CIGARETTE TAX.
FORD NO. 5000, 900.
By Arthur Brisbane

The hope of the farmer is in bet
ter machinery and more intelligent
use of it. 1t is not alone the selling
price of. bushel of wheat that
counts but the amount of farm time
and labor used to produce the
bushel. A man working with pick
and shovel could net afford to dig
up and sort out gold bearing gravel
if it paid him five dollars ton
average. But giant dredging ma
chimes in the Sacramento Valley
are making millions working grav'
ell that pays less than twenty cents
p ton.
Edwin J. Clapp shows what
machinery is doing and will do to
help solve farm problems, and why
United States farms can compete
with European cheap labor, and
even survive high railroad freight
rates.
On American farms, one worker
on the average produces twelve
tons of cereal In Europe one
worker produces one and one-halt
tons
From 1910 to 1920, American
farm population increased only
four per cent, while production OF
wheat increased ffty-eight per
cent, corn thirty-five per cent, cot
ton forty-seven per cent, cattle
thirty-seven per cent, hogs sixty
five per cent.
The farm problem is not to be
solved, according to Mr.. Clapp, by
"keeping the boys on the farm"
but by letting the boys go to the
factories, using more machinery on
farms and thus reducing cost OF
production.
Light automobiles and trucks
are being produced in grea5er vol
urne than ever before" Such IS
the official report. There is only
one cloud on the automobile hori>
Eon, and that's an oil cloud.
Reckless production and reck-
less price cutting in the Oh Indus
try mean trouble ahead for motor
owners. Oil is being wasted,
poured out and squandered on
sandy roads, wherever public Of
ficials can be persuaded to buy il
at public expense.
Oil production is wastefully man
aged, prices are low-but today's
low prices will be paid for with
high prices later.
The country needs a continuous
Noil and gasoline supply, at fair
prices, which the Government
should regulate.
The nation now is acting like a
drunken youth, squandering a rich
inheritance.
Lindbergh has good ideas. An
enthusiastic French lady intended
to spend 10000 francs for cup
toicelebrate his flight. He accepted
gratefully and asked that the $780,
600 francs be spent instead on chill
dren of French aviators who lost
their lives promoting aviation.
Lindbergh is a good representa-
tive of this country in Europe.
When Count Witte was in this
country, representing Russia in the
peace arrangements with Japan, he
told this writer the national mon
opoly of vodka, the Russian drink,
forty per cent alcohol, and sixty
per cent water, which he origi-
mated, gave profit just big enough
to pay the cost of the Russian
army.
It would interest Witte to know
that the United States tax on ciga.
rettes just about pays the cost of
our army. Uncle Sam collected
$227, 100000 in ten months this year
from cigarette smokers.
A full fiscal years cigarette tax
will about pay all army costs.
If Government could collect the
tax that the public pays to boot
seggers it might pay for ALL Gov
ernment expenses.
Henry Ford last week watched
his machinery grind out Ford car
No. 15,000,000, and celebrated by
taking a ride in the first car he ever
built. Old car No. l with its two
cylinders was taken out of the
Ford museum and driven by Henry
Ford with car No. 100000
driving beside it.
A new Ford car, with differ
ent gear shift, double the old Ford
power and a speed Of sixty miles
rn hour and more, will be seen in
the late Summer or early Fall.
That will begin new Ford fam
lily.
How much have 100000 Ford
cars meant in happiness 70 this
country = through freedom OF
. movement? How many BILLION
miles have they travelled