The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1945-12-20

congress- the speaker stressed. The
ever recurrent opposition of those
who contend there is an overpro-
duction of agricultural commodl-
ties in this country was cited by
the speaker as another factor.
THE rural population OF the
United States increased from 40
100000 people in 1900 to 57,246,0Ot
in 1910 while the total population
of the United States was lncreaS-
ing from 10000, 900 to 132,00O,000
MI. Sloan said in discussing this
phase. During the same period
there was a very slight increase IN
cultivated acreage, and the per cap
tia production of most agricultural
commodities decreased materially.
The average production OF wheat
from 1900 to 1910 was 10 bushels
per capita and in 1941. the last crop
season before the war, the per cap
tia production was 70 bushels.
Similar statistics showing even a
greater reduction per capita can be
cited for such commodities as corn,
cotton, potatoes, small grains and
hay. The production CT all cattle
for the period 1900 to 1910 was rs
per capita while in 1941 it was re-
duced to 81 per capita, a 30 per-
cent decrease. The per capita pro-
duction of all sheep decreased from
6 for the period 1900 to 1910 to SO
per capita for 1941, a decrease OF
almost 40 percent"
1.-The principal aim of the Mis-
souri, basin project is to stabilize
agriculture" Mr.. Sloan stressed.
MANY of OUR eastern friends have
the impression that agriculture in
the Missouri basin is at least as
stable as the agriculture of some OF
the eastern states"
In the Missouri valley the rural
population climbed steadily from
1880 to as late as 1880 but decreas-
ed by $4,000 between the years
1890 and 1910. The urban popula-
ton OF the basin during that per-
iod increased by 272,000 leaving a
net decline of $1,000. In 1880, 81
percent of the population of the
Missouri basin states was rural. The
decrease in rural population has
been a terrific economic loss to the
area.
The farm population in these
plains states mad especially heavy
losses of youths just reaching econ
omic productive ages. OF all those
youths who we're under 10, in 1880,
an average of 38 percent migrated
from the farms. Such a loss OF
young adults was, in eject, an i'm
mense gift of effective productive
to other areas that SEEM
ed to offer greater economic oppor-
1t is also significant that
Tor every 100 persons reaching the
age of rs years during the decade
1880 to 1910 there were $50 persons
passing out of economic life from
ieath or old age, he said.
Perhaps the most striking COM
nentary on unstable agriculture in
he basin is the variation in total
acreage harvested from year to
ear. The average acreage harvest
ID for the years 1925 to 1929 was
ct millions of acres, while for the
1885 to 1889, the average had
to 1873 millions acres or a
decrease of $4,000, 900 acres in 10
ears. During this same period the
otal decrease in harvested acreage
n the United States was $4,000, 900
l0,UOU, UUO OF WHICH was dC-
cunted for within the Missouri
asin states. Such an economic loss
help but be reflected in
hese states and in the United
itates as a whole" he stated.
I'm 1894, the worst drought year,
he acreage in the basin dropped to
6 million acres or 40 million acres
nder the 1925-1929 average. Had
his forty million acre decrease been
arvested in 1884, with an average
rop value of only Sc per acre, it
rould have increased the income
D the farmer in the basin in that
ne year alone by $240, 900, 900. TAX
lg the 10-year decrease from 1929
0 1889 the economic loss through
abandonment of acreage when COM
uted at a low average CT Sc per
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