Rural Depopulation and Urban Overpopulation 61 



As the professor had not been idle he was equally prepared to 

 give his theory of the situation. He said: 



"You know, Mr. Keeler, that through the keen discussion in 

 the United States, especially during the past few years, and more 

 recently in Germany, of the problems of high prices an agitation 

 has been raised producing the most wide-spread political effects. 

 The discussion has naturally been concerned with the high cost 

 of living to city dwellers, and as the labouring classes have 

 witnessed the colossal fortunes piled up through the manipula- 

 tion of railway and other industrial stocks and by the combines 

 to increase prices in iron, cotton, coal and foods, made possible 

 by the facilities of personal communication by railway, tele- 

 phone, and telegraph, a deep-seated sense of injustice through 

 labour not receiving its fair share of profits has arisen, which, 

 if not in some way removed, can only end in social revolution. 



"Of course strikes have followed strikes in every trade as if 

 that would lessen the evil; but everywhere an increase of 5 per 

 cent in wages is followed by 10 per cent advance in the cost of 

 food and coal. Strangely, I suppose, because the farmer has 

 hitherto been too of ten the silent, uncomplaining beast of burden, 

 an individualist wholly unorganized and unbusinesslike, his 

 voice has scarcely been heard or if heard not heeded because he 

 showed no combined political strength. I have been comparing 

 prices and find that wherever the prices of the farmers have been 

 increased 10 per cent the wholesale prices have risen by nearly 

 50 per cent. Thus a table in the Report of the Department of 

 Labour gives the following prices: 



Average of Prices for 1890-1900 Prices for 1911 



Grain and fodder 100 145. 



Animals and meats 100 146 . 7 



Dairy produce 100 136.2 



Fish 100 143.6 



Average total 100 143.75 



"In all articles of which a country produces a notable surplus, 

 the price is regulated by the world's markets as in the present 

 price of wheat; but whereas in the United States and Germany, 

 and now in Canada, the home consumption has approximated 



