Show H Heres Here's r s Ec Economic n mic Problem I for to Solve By WILLIAM G. G ROYLANCE That extreme poverty can exist at the same time with excessive excessive ex ex- ex- ex wealth that thaLa that anyone anyone yon should lack the necessities oJ of life in a land of abundance 5 i i the fhe severest indictment that can be brought ag against our e economic system This condition is as old as human the nan rac race There never neve has s been een a people whose development devel devel- has not ot been hamp hampered red by ly it A Always ways there has le been n an abundance of theories or es to its as cause and a multitude of prescriptions for its cure All AIl of which has proved wrong or inadequate made made- quate quate Those who Those who have plenty soothe their consciences by doling doling dol dol- dol- dol ing out chari charity y orby dr as ascribing or laziness as th the cause o of poverty while the poor out cry against the privileges of the of the rich Yet th the poor we have always way with us We have luxury f failed to to find finda a a sa satisfactory 18 a atory tory at answer er to t th te e e question How to so 80 far secure an a ade ade- e- e quate quat sustenance sustenance t to 1111 all the members of a society When we say that want coexists with wealth poverty with Ut Utah we we ive weare are bringing n no stronger indictment t against our state than plenty in be e brought ag against ins any other state or nation But it Is none nope the less might a severe indictment We Ve are constantly to the world our abundant We would have all ail men know that Ufah Utah is a aland land of opportunity Yet S so J far we ve haye failed to secure equal and ample opportunity to to own wn people We have rich lands our lying unused while t the pr Ice ce of of many foods is beyond the reach of the average family we we have unemployed in our cities while there are places places' In the state where where crops were damaged or wasted for wan want of sufficient of labor we have over production in one direction and short shortage ge in another worst of all we have so clumsy and confused a system I of marketing that much produce I never reaches the consumer consumer at all ll a and d In In numerous instances the cost of moving and dis dis- dis n is is so high that the price to the consumer is consumer prohibitive Last week apples of of first grade were a dollar in fri the orchard ten teri miles mUes from Salt Salt- Lake City and were selling retail by the pound at 7 cents or at t the rate jf f four do dollars lars and fifty cents a bushel By the box they two dollars a bushel That is it cost as much mich to market them as were to produce them To the price of many farm products grown and consumed In Utah more than pet per cent is added between the farmer fanner and the consumers consumer's home In the face of these facts over production Is given as the cause of the lack of of ofa a market for many farm products and t the e waste of tons of food With With Sitti modern f facilities for communication and transportation tion there can be no such thing as overproduction Production so long fong as anyone is In need It If is fool foolish sh it is criminal to talk of over production so long as there are thousands able and willing to pay a fair fall price for a product that a i. i few w miles nl es alo away along g a railway line is rotting on the field Som Something thing to Be Solved Not long ago THE TELEGRAM published an editorial and a picture this illustrating condition so clearly that anyone should see and understand That editorial ri should be read and its meaning meaning grasped grasped by every man and woman in in Ut Utah h. h It t sets forth our biggest problem and it It itIs Is up to us to solve it I I This is not the problem alone of the farmer the carrier Carrie the wholesale or 01 retail merchant or the consumer It is the problem of th the entire community com corn Upon its right solution depends our ver very existence as a community Not only our material existence but our soci social l moral and and spiritual life depend upon vitality upon energy These we cannot have without ut an adequate food supply We Ve can C never have too much food tood and we shall suffer for the want of it so long as there Is inefficiency in production and waste In distribution Other causes aside asid there there- will wUl be inefficiency In production so long as there is uncertainty In the marketing of products There will be w waste in distribution until we find out and understand the facts conditioning it gross it-gross gross waste not only of products directly but of time money and human energy There is a very strong probability that all the facts would show that there are far too many persons and a great deal too much capital engaged in getting pr products ducts from the producer to the consumer The overhead in this department of the community's business Is doubtless enormous and must be paid out of high prices to the consumer Also we should almost certainly find that extravagance and carelessness in buying adds much to the cost It ds still more certain that we should find from all aIr the facts that that the farmer is' is very little to blame A billion bushels of wheat half as s much corn ten teh million n bushels of peaches many more more of apples and other crops in proportion th the present year are ample proof that he has delivered the goods The failure in marketing is n not t a farmers farmer's failure It is a business business business busi busi- ness failure and nd the m most st gigantic and threatening failure of our commercial life f Suggests Economic Survey We must increase our wealth and learn wisely to distribute and to conserve it We must wipe out the reproach of poverty coexistent with plenty We must solve quickly and effectively this this' biggest of of all social problems The s hix of modern life has propounded the question we must answer or perish The way to the solution is broad and open as midday We must get the facts facts all all th the f facts facts a a and d have them co and impartially construed construed con con- This means means' that we we must have in some fashion an industrial and econ economic mic survey of th the thO state by some organization not under the control or the influence of any interest less than that of the whole community It ItIs itis is Is' Is Isa a a big comm community j Job b which an Intelligent community will not shirk It is squarely up up to us S Surely relY we Ve shall not choose to wait walt until our resources resources resources re- re sources are dissipated and our energies impaired |