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Show Hi H W THE WOIILD'S l'OOI) SIIOItTAGE ' Many peoplo bellevo that tho Idea of food short-ago short-ago Is largely Imaginary. They think It Is promoted by food speculators, middlemen and trusts, to excusa and to conceal their exorbitant prices. A most deplorable de-plorable selfishness and lack of patriotism has been shown among theso elements, which aro constantly enriching themselves while poor peoplo go hungry, and the, government's war work Is hampered. But when you look at the cold figures of production pro-duction and consumption, Increase of population, and stationary or declining supplies, It Is impossible to deny that a scarcity exists. While attempting to curb the speculators, we must not forget tho law of supply and demnnd, and make every effort to Increase In-crease supply. It Is not sufficient that there should be barely enough food to supply tho people. There needs at all times to be an nmplo margin, else tho speculators speculat-ors can corner the market and force the public to pay an extortionate price. Much could bo done by better systems of marketing. mar-keting. Storage plants are needed In country districts dis-tricts nnd cities, better terminal facilities, side trackage and convenient means of unloading, and loading, systems of motor trucks for collection and delivery. Such systems cost a great deal of money. With the world shortage or capital, it Is not clear where these funds are to come from. Many people bellevo tho farmer Is getting rich at present prices. Yet when he has paid twice as much ns formerly for labor and machinery and three times as much for seed, his profit seems to be largely on paper. The highly developed farm should make money. But there are millions of little fellows fel-lows that are still struggling along. We needmoro food producers. Young men of foresight are responding re-sponding to the opportunity, but they cannot expect any bonanza under present conditions. to. b bi |
