The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1938-12-08

- ers. There average of 4.67 persons
~ on every farm in the United States; our
~ estimated 1885 farm population --latest
figures available) 81, 800, 000-which
Is works out to about 100000 farms.
- Our farmland in general is so fertile
ing . s. Commits. and farming methods advanced
.One Of mmiEa that farmers if left alone overpro
xatwth h. had duce whenever weather permits Thus,
more work to do often get cotton than
people wear, shoe leather than they buy,
more cattle and hogs and wheat and than they
eat.
At the same time we have lost large part of the
foreign markets that used to take most all of these
SURPRISES off hands at reasonably good prices And
-, there is no visible hope of getting the
VANISHING bulk of those foreign markets back.
MnrLofo The World War, with it's accompany
ing bockades and raids on merchant
ships frightened the European countries into their pres
ent eager and persistent efforts to make themselves
sef-sustaning regards food production and other
essentials.
Various other countries notably Canada and the Argen
tine, whose productivity stepped up by World War
demands, have gone right on competing with farm
products for what foreign markets there Our cot
ton restriction program, while kept up cotton prices
in this country, helped to encourage Brazil to in
heavily for cotton growing and Egypt to step up its cot
ton production
Now because crop control hasn't been strict in the
last year so and because the drouh cycle appears to
have passed. farm prices off again. Overproduc
ton is with more That means farmers will be
able buy less and less manufactured goods made by
city workers-whch in due will increase city un
employment.
Being unable to sell as much to the foreigners
used to- might it not be good plan to bring more
foreigners here?
Suppose we should add 10 per cent to
Importing our population-that would be roughly
Customers 100000 people-by radically lowering
the immigration bars.
This would give the farmers 100000 more mouths to
feed and backs to cover and 100000 feet to SHOE
Assuming the 100000 newcomers could somehow get
the money to buy these essentials the farmers would
profit.
There would be end too to any necessity for crop
control at least for considerable time to The
farmers could produce all the food and meat the weather
would permit and there would be market for ia home
market at reasonably good prices.
In their turn the farmers could buy automobiles
Watches farm machinery electrical appliances and on
from the city facories-whch in their turn would be
forced to hire people and buy raw materials
Thus we ought to adjust economy to the supply
anddemand law with natural human consumption of sup
plies instead of with artificial controls And ought
to win again to the same sort
Farmers at Least of optimistic, expanding pros
Wnu1d Re HoInpH perity enjoyed most of the
time before camped down
the gates against the eager and natural flow of humanity
from over-crowded Europe into the partial American
vacuum.
Well cut off this editorial about here and won't discuss
today the question which DIRECTORS to this line of reason
ing generally raise first: Where would the money
from to buy this food and this clothing for these
corners?
Well just content ourselves today with pointing out
that if we could import 100000 farmers
at least, would benefit heavily.
In later editorial hope to discuss to the best of our
ability such questions what these people would do for
money when they got here whether they would dispace
100000 Americans already working for wages. and
so
'FRONT.' New YorkD New)
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