Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-27
SHRINKAGE IN FARM
POPULATION SEEN
Waste of Agricultural Prod
uCtS Held Cause of La.
Dor Reduction.
By J. C. RoYLE.

Further decrease in the number Of
those Americans engaged in agricul-
tural pursuits seems inevitable. accord
ing to statistics gathered from Govern
ment departments today. This does not
by any means involve q loss Of en-
cheney or prosperity TO the country. II
simply means that agriculture has
Jagged behind the parade; that it Is not
keeping step with progress, and that the
use Of agricultural products has been
outrageously wasteful.
! Reports of even the most optimistic
uphoider3 Of the Farm Board indicate
terrific surplus Of agricultural prod
ucts In most lines. In q good many
cases this surplus is unstable in mar
kets Of other countries ut prices whic'
will yield q profit TO the Amertca
farmers. The Farm Board declares
much of agricultural commodities u
ing produced and farmers must Az
down acreage and production.
Eject Of Reduction.
If they cut acreage and prod!sS1;
they must also cut manpower, ~ ~
Is q conservative estimate now nae "
sound statisticians that In the r. ~ \.
years there should be only one Az - -
many dependent on agricultv A g,.ts
living as there are ct preses. ~
means q drop from 100000 " AO'
000, 900 people. o.s,,.,ru
Not only is agriculture 49, .OSN 49,
more than Is needed ut 1919. ses
conditions show evidencesna e., : 1soSf
to such an extent that ven s.,.sn aIsr,t
drastic reduction would 3 Hs@ 1s-sI-e
to keep the large numbeFA A~IW WIN
ers employed. ~. ar..rae.n
peonie are unlikely TO SanGe drasticaily
within q year or 80, ven tnOusA 80
depression should cuSlnue, - ~
tafnly viii not. But mere : u ssaas,i6
dous leeway for chase II ~ s'0n S'-0
be essential. A. A.. rYnsAad
S.etss a. ,,reSent there - more tnan
snfscSent for 10 %. 900 people now ex-
sstt,So hare r. 3ods were utilised -
4hsv ara IN T3ernany with more con-
s,,rySy,tion AZ acscultural products ana
fsS1 And less of reat, it Is estimated con-
seTvatiyeIv tha enough 1000 Wouio y
produced here annuany 1or zov,OO S "a
nneonIe n tF,s Nation should devote "
her cent If me vegetable products OF
fhe coMntrv Tor food for man, Is Japan
S A. : na3ulatiOn Of $50, 000, 900 could
~ s,,staised. But since the advance In
S,orId Aouirements Is increasing 20
rIowiv economists feel that for the time
ooric;,tlIre must be abandoned by some.
Nass production and the increased use
of nachinery must necessarily 1Ofce
With the lower costs Of agricultural
roducts and foodstuffs, the industrial
deduction of the country, It = helo.
vii increase so as to provide Tor any
thrown out Of employment ON the 1arms'
Change in Habits.
Any great change in food habits m
this country will not come from neces-
sity to cut down. It viii not mean the
lowering Of the standard Of living. ~
will Gbe because the American people
themselves will take more thought o.
what as well as when they eat. Ine
DAYS when large part Of the populA-
ton Is engaged In violent physician
effort, even on the farms and In the
lumber mills and mines, have passed.
The type Of food necessary IN Colonial
times is not needed or craved today.
The FIRST authoritative reports TO Gov
eminent departments on this trend
show q marked change IN eating habits
during the last so years.
These facts may have been taken tot0
consideration by the Department OF Ag-
riculture IN predicting continued low
level of farm prices during 1872, all
though the World War Is held mainly
responsible. The department points out
that all great wars have been followed
by q period of depression in agT1cul-
ttIre. 1t is notable, however, that agri-
cultural commodities reached their low
est price levels, IS Is shown by the de-
partment chart, during the period OF
the Spanish American and Boer Wars.
Copyright, 1ssI)