--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Peterson, Elmer G. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 20 number: 11 published: 1917-09 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Elmer G. Peterson, "The Patriotic Necessity of Saving," *Improvement Era* 20, no. 11 (September 1917): 981–985.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera20011unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera20011unse start_page: 981 end_page: 985 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1917-09) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera20011unse publication_year: 1917 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1917, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Patriotic Necessity of Saving The Patriotic Necessity of Saving By Dr. Elmer G. Petersen, President of the Agricultural College of Utah Conservation and thrift, once a theory, has now become a stern necessity. What we formerly thought was very desirable and admirable by those few who practiced it, now becomes a matter of very nearly life and death consequences. To be sure, in free America, governmental edict has not stipulated the ex- tent to which saving shall be practiced, but conditions very possibly may eventuate to that end. Let us recount how the governments of Europe have decreed that there shall be no waste. Germany —A decree of October 28, 1914, forbids the use of wheat and rye for feeding livestock. On January, 1915, this interdiction was extended to oats, except in the case of horses whose ration was fixed at one kilogram and a half per day. On January 25, 1915, a decree was issued requisitioning all stocks of wheat and rye, barley and oat meal. By a decree of June, 1916, the wheat and rye crops of 1916, and all supplies of flour were requisitioned, and on July 24 this measure was extended to barley and oats. On March 1, 1917, the imperial bureau of cereals ordered that 94 pounds of flour were to be obtained from every 100 pounds of wheat, and 84 pounds from every 100 pounds of rye. A decree of October 24, 1914, ordered that wheat bread was to contain at least 10 per cent of rye flour, and rye bread at least 5 per cent of potato flour. On January 5, 1915, the order was to mix 30 per cent rye flour in wheat bread and 10 to 30 per cent of potato flour in rye bread. The daily ration of bread was fixed in January, 1916, at 200 grammes per head. A decree of June 26, 1916, requires all townships of more than 40,000 inhabitants to collect all the kitchen waste and re- mainders from meals, such as broken bread, relics of vegeta- bles, fruit, meat, fish, soup, sauce, potatoes, including skins, and to keep them in special boxes. A penalty of six months' impris- onment or fifteen hundred francs fine is provided for those who fail to collect such broken victuals or who steal them from the boxes provided for that purpose. — Austria A decree of January 30, 1915, provides that the flour used in making bread must consist half of wheat or rye flour, and half of other farinaceous stuffs. A decree of Febru- *Address given at the State Bankers' Convention, Provo, June 23, 1917. IMPROVEMENT ERA ary 21, 1915, requisitioned all stocks of cereals and flour; a de- cree of June 21, 1915, requisitioned all the 1915 crops, and a decree of June 11, 1916, requisitioned all the crops of 1916. A decree of March 26, 1915, fixed the ration of bread and flour per inhabitant at 200 grammes per day, and introduced bread and flour cards. Hungary — A decree of September 8, 1916, requisitioned all stocks of wheat, rye, barley, and oats, and on the 29th of Sep- tember, 1916, this measure was extended to include maize. A decree of February 16, 1915, ordered that 50 per cent of maize flour or 25 per cent of potato flour was to be used in bread making. — France A ministerial decree closed all confectioners' shops on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. A decree of February 9, 1917, forbids the sale of new bread. —A Italy decree of February 21, 1917, orders that 90 pounds of flour shall be obtained from every 100 pounds of wheat. A decree of December 12, 1916, enacts restrictions on the consump tion of food in hotels, pensions, restaurants, cafes, dairy-shops etc., and forbids certain foods on certain days, limits the num ber of dishes which may be served, etc. A decree of March 10 1917, forbids the sale of all cakes and confectionery. The fol lowing countries have fixed maximum prices for wheat: Ger many, Austria, Hungary, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Switzer land, Sweden, Russia, and Tunis. — Great Britain and Ireland A government commission has the monopoly of importing and distributing in Great Britain and Ireland all foreign wheat, maize, and rice. Bread can only be sold when it is one day old. It is forbidden to use milk and sugar in baking bread. The food controller has fixed the ration of bread and flour at 4 pounds per inhabitant per week. The world's food supply in 1916 was short. Wheat was 93 per cent normal in both hemispheres, and the total crop was 80 per cent of the preceding year. 1917 is undoubtedly below 1916. The world's acreage is not perceptibly larger, while the spring weather in many parts of the world was very unfavorable for crop production and there is no surplus left over from last year as was the case in 1916. Utah has the best crop situation in the United States, and is ranked by the board of estimates of the government, as pro- ducing proportionately greater than any state in the Union, our 1917 crop being estimated 107.5 per cent. The average crop in America is only 95 per cent. From reports just received from the counties of Utah it is evident that we shall have the best crop in years. It is estimated that 150,000 to 200,000 new acres have been planted this year in Utah. There is a garden for every rural family. These gardens, over previous years, are much THE PATRIOTIC NECESSITY OF SAVING 983 increased in size and in quality. It appears possible if proper conservation methods are pursued that every small community in Utah will be able to ship car-loads of preserved products to those countries or districts of the world which need them so badly. The greatest measure of thrift and agricultural develop- ment now needed in Utah is more and better livestock. In all but three counties in the State there is reported a decrease in livestock, not including poultry, in which there is a perceptible increase in most counties in the State. We are undoubtedly becoming very much in need of additional livestock. This is especially important in Utah because our scheme of agriculture, to be the most profitable, must include livestock as the basic factor. We have proved conclusively that specialized farming, limiting our production to one or two crops is not profitable. The largest incomes in the State are from sections devoted to raising of animals, which usually accompanies diversified agri- culture. With our unusually good range and forage conditions this year, greater precaution should be taken by the farmer that livestock which we have are well taken care of during the sum- mer and next winter. Upon bankers and other leading citi- zens, especially should be the responsibility of encouraging farmers to increase their herds, and to keep sufficient forage on hand to prevent the tremendous waste which occurred in Utah last winter. Probably the greatest single measure of saving in the State agriculturally can be effected through proper man- agement and care of our livestock. We have given too little attention to the prosperity of Utah farmers. Too often we have looked upon the farmer as a per- son from whom to obtain business, and to make profits. Indeed, examples are very common where skilful men have deliber- ately and consistently victimized the farmers. We are now com- ing to realize the suicidal nature of such a policy. To be sure, the farming business in Utah is thriving. Records just recently compiled by investigators at the College throughout Utah, in- dicate an earning capacity by the best farmers of from $3,419 per year at Monroe to $1,465 per year at Pleasant Grove, which earning does not include food raised on the farm and used by the family, and the use of the home, and does not include 5 per cent on the investment, which varies with the best farmers from $18,000 in Monroe to $8,000 in Ferron, which interest amounts to $900 in Monroe, and $400 in Ferron. The best farm- ers, therefore, made at Monroe in 1916, a total of $4,819, allow- ing $500 for board and lodging, and the best farmers made at Pleasant Grove $2,515, allowing $500 for board and lodging. In Monroe the earning capacity of the poorer farmers is $104 per year, at Hyde Park $11, at Pleasant Grove, minus $60, at IMPROVEMENT ERA Hinckley minus $213, at Ferron, minus $126, at Draper minus $276, at Beaver minus $189. Of 308 farms surveyed, the aver- age income is $845 during 1916, which is an increase of over 300 per cent over 1915. To this labor income should be added approximately $450, which is 5 per cent interest on an average investment in the 308 farms of $9,000, and $500 for board and lodging, which brings the income to $1,795. It will be seen from these figures that the variation from the average income of $1,795 to the income of the best farmers in Monroe district, $4,819, represents the possibility of very considerably increas- ing the wealth of the State of Utah by bringing the inefficient farmer up to the standard of the efficient farmer. The earn- ings on the 308 farms vary almost directly as the number and quality of livestock on the farm, the highest incomes coming to the farmers who have solved the problems of developing one or more strains of livestock. Taking into account the un- usual conditions favorable in Utah, every person interested in the permanent welfare of the State should sanely lend his aid in the production of meat animals. Furthermore the farmers engaged in the production of live- stock tend to become very intelligent, and the system of farm- ing involved in livestock, which involves a return of manure to the soil, presumes a more permanent agriculture than will oth- erwise be possible. We cannot exist in Utah prosperously for a long period of time unless we have a large number of livestock. They should be on every farm in Utah. Prof. Mark H. Greene, farm management expert at the College, who has gathered the data included in part above, summarizes the cause of low in- come by the farmers as follows: 1. The operation of small farms. The average labor in- come from small farms is meager and it gradually increases as the size of the farm is increased. 2. Poor managerial ability results in low returns. Upon the farmer quite as much as upon any other factor depends the efficiency of the farm organization and profits from farming. 3. A specialized type of farming, such as fruit farming, often results in low labor incomes where the cash crop is so uncertain or subject to so many changing conditions in the marketing of the product. 4. Poor crop yields. 5. A small investment in livestock. 6- The sale of feeds, rather than creating a market for the produce through the sale of livestock. 7. The farm as affected by poor topographic, climatic, soil conditions. 8. The farm distance from the market may greatly de- crease the net returns, THE PATRIOTIC NECESSITY OF SAVING 985 9. Low net receipts per productive animal unit. 10. Too many horses on the farm. 11. The ownership of a great amount of unproductive land. 12. The operation of land that is overcapitalized, such as fruit land valued at $400 or $500 per acre. — Measures of Thrift. The annual food waste in America is estimated to be seven billion dollars a year, a large amount of which is preventable. Some of the many things which should be done in Utah this year, and which are based upon experience of other countries with whom we are either at war or with whom we are allied in this greatest of all struggles, follow: Chemists should analyze the garbage of Salt Lake and Ogden in order to constantly keep before the people the tremendous amount of available food which finds its way into the garbage can. No glass, tin, wood, burnt matches, paper, string or other inorganic trash should be mixed with vegetable or animal waste. Garbage waste in Germany during the war, and Germany is proverbially thrifty far beyond America, furnish briquettes rich in protien, which produced from one and one-half to two mil- lion quarts of milk daily. American garbage is 3 per cent fat. Germany's garbage is less than 1 per cent fat, which gives an indication of probable waste in America per year. The soil should be kept working all seasons by planting crops that can still be planted profitably. Save any surplus fruits and vegetables through canning and storing. Not only every producing home, but every community should now provide for clean and adequate storage for grains, potatoes and other crops. Every home should preserve much more than is needed by way of bottled fruit and vegetables to take care of the needs of the family. Especially should communities now take immediate action to see that elevators, granaries and bins are in shape to take care of the extremely important crops, wheat, beans and potatoes, which will soon be harvested in Utah. Food is wasted if it gets into the garbage pail, if it is allowed to spoil in the home, if ruined by careless cooking, or when too much is served at a meal. Our bread stuff supply may be increased one-twelfth, or eighten million barrels of flour a year by milling our wheat so as to make 81 per cent of the kernel into flour instead of 73 per cent as at present. This 81 per cent flour would be as nu- tritious as what we now use. Our diet should be as largely veg- etarian as possible. Meat is one of the most concentrated forms in which food occurs. The war may hinge upon our ability to put a large amount of meat at the disposal of our allies. War is still not a thorough reality to us. We still think that the cloud will pass without our home or our table being invaded, but unless the signs are wrong, we are embarked upon a long and gruelling struggle, in which every resource of the nation will