IN RELATION TO THE WAR. 511 



heeled shoe, the Hmousine, and the gum — should they outrank both 

 education and food? It would seem that at the present moment 

 they do, for officially the government has called for the college stu- 

 dent and not for the gum maker. 



We have an extensive reserve of skilled agricultural labor, the 

 many, many thousands of farmers' sons and farm hands who have 

 gone forth from the farm and who will go back, temporarily at least, 

 if the pay is good enough. 



Labor cannot be drafted in the United States as easily as a sol- 

 dier can be drafted. It can be inspired some, and for a safe de- 

 pendence it can be paid. That is the practice in producing muni- 

 tions and clothes. Food production is no exception. 



In conclusion and summary, the proper utiHzation of our food 

 resources during this war requires at the hand of government: 



1. Price regulation to stop undue profiteering. 



2. Price guaranteeing of bread and bread substitutes at such figures 



and such relative figures as to assure an abundant supply of 

 the same at the expense of beef and other meat if necessary, 

 but not at the expense of dairy products. 



3. Material aid (other than talk) in the manufacture and distribu- 



tion at reasonable prices of wheat substitutes if it is necessary 

 for the people to use them. 



4. Creation of new labor supply for the farm, by 



a. Young men under draft age, 



b. Women, 



c. Workers drawn from less vital industries. 



5. Deportation of all idlers, whether they use an old tomato can or 



12 cylinders. 



6. The building up as soon as possible of a war pantry of surplus 



Ibreadstufifs of at least 200,000 bushels. 



7. Development of local supplies wherever conditions are favorable. 



Thus war gardens, canning clubs, drying clubs, curb markets, 

 local storages, etc., will do much to simplify the railroad 

 burden. 



8. Drastic simplification of distribution by eliminating waste motion 



of which we now have an almost unbelievable amount. 



