4 THE AGRICULTURAL BLOC 



When I first came to America and our 

 population was only about one-half of what 

 it is today and the amount of lands avail- 

 able for cultivation so immense that any 

 plan of conservation of our fertility seemed 

 almost impossible; but now after 50 years 

 have elapsed and our population has in- 

 creased almost to the point under existing 

 conditions where we consume nearly all our 

 own production of raw materials, we can 

 by a proper adjustment of our tariffs work 

 out a problem of conservation that will im- 

 mensely benefit our country, both socially 

 and financially. The subject is of such an 

 immense area that it will be necessary to 

 take it up in sections. 



The first effort I really made to bring my 

 views to notice was in a letter I read before 

 the late President Roosevelt's Shipping 

 Commission in 1904, of which Senator Gal- 

 lagher of Massachusetts was chairman, 

 which was printed in the report of that 

 commission and is as follows: 



STATEMENT BY THOMAS WITHY- 

 COMBE 



The Chairman — Is there any other gentle- 

 man present who desires to say a word ? 



Mr. Withycombe — Mr. Chairman, it may 

 be presumptious for me to address your 

 honorable body. When I was a boy I served 

 as an officer in the English merchant ma- 



