Reconstruction in Utah

Reconstruction in Utah

By N. Alvin Pedersen, Department of English, Utah Agricultural College

The need of the hour is reconstruction. It will take the form in this state of an acute stimulation of industry. Young men of Utah, yOu are facing golden opportunities; for the resources of your state are hardly touched. They are waiting to be unlocked by the trained hand. Utah's land is almost as rich as may be found out of doors, but it is not made to yield to its capacity. Our ordinary farmer is not making much money although he toils long hours daily. A little figuring will prove this. Allow him but 5 percent on the money value of his land, and a fair wage for his hired help which, by the way, may be his own children. Deduct these two sums from the farmer's gross income received for all farm produce. The balance will represent what is called the farmer's labor income, or the money he actually earns by his own labor. Assume, to illustrate, that Smith's farm is worth $10,000. He is entitled to 5 percent interest on that money, or $500. His hired help may cost him $400 yearly his taxes, $200. The total ;

of these three items, $1,100, subtracted from his supposed gross receipts of $2,000 would leave$900 as his labor income. Now a number of farm surveys show that the labor income of the average Utah farmer, who tills about 50 acres of irrigated land, approximates, in addition to his table supply, but $400. This amount plus the interest on his capital may be a fair profit but it is certainly not particularly encouraging. The larger farmer is, to be sure, doing somewhat better; the smaller one, somewhat worse. The "back-to-the-land" movement, which because of the war and the resultant food shortage is taking on newness of life, is not helped along much by such figures. The difficulty is, however, not with the land but in the man. Other averagesized farmers, employing more modern methods, are obtaining quite different results. They are getting, to illustrate, the usual 5 percent interest rate on the value of their 50 acres. Allowing a reasonable valuation of $12,000 for their farms we make the interest $600. Their labor incomes are at the same time more than $1000 each, or double that of the ordinary farmer. These two amounts combined give the better farmer, then, a net income of at least $1600 a year with good health and his living

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thrown in. At the same time he may have employed his chil- — dren profitably right at home quite a consideration in itself. This begins to look inviting for a young man with his eye on the future. But exceptional farmers, men who farm with both head and hand, do better yet. As a case in point: two years ago ten farmers of Cache county with farms worth but $14,000 a piece averaged labor incomes of $2,100 plus $700 interest on their capital; ten farmers in Beaver county with farms worth $18,800 each, averaged labor incomes of $3,100 and $940 interest and ten farmers in Sevier county with farms worth ;

$18,600 each, received labor incomes of $3,400 besides $930 interest. Again remember the advantages of family employment in addition to the farmer's liberal board usually heaped with — good things to eat important considerations not included in the estimates. The day of the country gentleman, of the landed estate with all its varied comforts and luxuries, is indeed beginning to dawn upon fair Utah. Even such cases fail, however, to tell the complete story of your future, young man, should you become a farmer. The splendid results mentioned were achieved by men trained — largely by experience and hard knocks both painful and costly. Consider the good round sums of money you will be able to wring from mother earth with the help of expert knowledge of soils, crops, and farm management such as may be had in the college halls and laboratories of this state. In this day of competing specialists, the trained men simply cut cross lots to success. "Farmers of New York State who have attended the grade schools," says an agricultural expert, "earn $318; those who have attended high school, $622; and those who have attended college, $847." The size of the farms is not stated, nor is graduation in either case specified. Consequently the figures are not particularly telling; yet they show this significant truth: the grade-school farmer could have almost trebled his earning power by getting some college training. In other words, he would have earned big wages while going to school. Few students sense that. Don't forget that education is free in Utah and that college training need not cost much. Statistics gathered two years ago showed that students' actual yearly expenses for tuition, books, fees and general keep, in one of our leading institutions, ranged as low as $225 for the careful student up to $375 for the liberal spender. With the war over now, these figures will be about correct for 1919. My room mate at Stanford University entered with $69 to his credit and graduated four years later with $109. Wise old Horace Greeley used to say, "Go, West, young man, go West." If he were alive now he would say "Get Training young man, get training." The word "service" is the big-

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gestword in the dictionary for men whose careers are under way. But the young man with his career yet to make, needs a word or two more added to his motto. Let it be, "Service and the training that fits for service." "But this rich-farmer stuff is all a myth to a boy without a foot of land," methinks I hear you say. Not so fast. Farms are available right now, young man. Land worth $300 an acre that will grow 15 tons of $12 sugar beets can be rented for $25 an acre. Irrigated land no farther away then Rich county that will raise good crops of hay, grain, and potatoes was offered for sale last summer at $60 an acre. One hundred fifty dollars an acre will buy fertile land and water within 15 miles of Salt Lake City. Large tracts of cheap land are being reclaimed in Cache, Millard, Utah, and Sevier counties. Undoubtedly, Sanpete will soon drain her extensive bottom lands which comprise most of that rich valley. San Juan, Washington, and Iron counties have irrigation and dry-farm projects under way that will throw thousands of loamy acres upon the market at a low figure. The immediate future will thus add in the neighborhood of a 1,000,000 acres to Utah's arable lands. Keep in mind that we have now but 3,000,000 acres under cultivation in the State, in order to sense thoroughly the meaning of these facts to a son of this commonwealth. Add to such Utah enterprises, Secretary Lane's projects for reclaiming millions of Uncle Sam's waste acres and then ask yourself if opportunities are not crowding upon you. But they must be seized by a trained hand or they will wither in your grasp. Uncle Sam's reconstruction policy demands, further, that cattle be kept on a thousand hills in order to feed the human family. These animals may no longer be left to wind and weather but man's hand must be stretched over them. Otherwise God's children will have to go without sorely needed animal products. Secretary Houston urges that for some time to come special stress be laid upon live-stock production. Do you realize, Young Utah, that we have not yet laid aside our baby clothes in this great necessary, paying, industry? We are not even conserving the few long-legged, feather-weight animals we have. We still "winter" our stock on scanty ranges and stingy

rations. What a tale of suffering and loss is in that word "winter." We still let animals die from simple, preventable dis-

eases that every farmer ought to know how to combat. Think of it, our unnecessary death loss of live-stock is over a half million dollars yearly. We still milk "robber cows;" and still

ignorantly permit valuable, pure-bred Percheron colts to die in foal. There are of course exceptions. Two years ago the Kjar ranch of Manti took the prize for the best car load of steers at the Kansas exposition. But there is truth in the picture.

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Astounding truly. Why, a fat six-months' old pig sells for $20. A Cache Valley lad invested $40 in a sow; in 18 months he netted from that deal $318. A well-fed two year old beef is worth $100; a pound of butter fat brings 87 cents; even a rabbit — but enough. It is inconceivable that Utah will ignore Houston's call. Surely no one will object to buttering his own bread. How shall our poultry industry he reconstructed to meet the nation's ideal? Utah ought to be ashamed of the fact that she imports $1,000,000 worth of poultry products yearly. We have first class facilities. Yet many of our farmers keep no hens at all, and the rest of them average but 40 hens, most of which are loafing on the job. This is a condition that passeth understanding when anyone who eats an omelet breakfast on a winter morning knows that every working hen literally lays a golden egg. We were forced to ship into the state last spring a million baby chicks at 10 cents each. Our hatcheries, at least one of which paid 16 percent dividends, were swamped with orders. Why not get in line for some of this money? Uncle Sam's poultry appeal of last year still stands as part of his reconstruction policy. "100 hens on every farm, a dozen hens in every back yard, and a hundred eggs from every hen." That program would increase our hens by a million and a half it ;

would add 3,000 tons of poultry to our meat supply; and yield us thirteen million eggs, a consummation devoutly to be wished. Looks easy, doesn't it? But few activities have more kinks than the chicken business. Many a man will testify that a bloomin' hen won't lay when eggs are high if you give her a silver medal. Incubating eggs are infertile and shells are so hard and thick that the chick can't hatch through to the light of day. Even when the brood is once started there is no telling — what will happen—they may eat one another's toes have been — known to do so or pile up in a yellow heap in one corner of the brooder and unceremoniously smother. Oh the woes of the egg man are many, and the way to success is long. But poultry preparedness shows the way out. Electric lights in a coop may turn failure to success. Our age is unique in that one can get training for any worthy line of endeavor. College courses emphasize poultry practice. A story is told by an old couple who were going to take a pleasure trip up state. As they stood upon the station platform, a train rushed by with a barking dog in full pursuit. "Do you think he will be able to catch the train?" asked the wife. "Well he may," replied John, "But I wonder what he intends to do with it when he catches it?" The same question used to be pertinently asked the young man in pursuit of the old-fashioned education. But our schools have moved ahead since that day. A college now is the short

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cut to useful knowledge of all kinds. Courses of study touch life at all angles. Great as will be Utah's Agricultural future under reconstruction, her business and manufacturing interests are destined to lead. This means still greater opportunities for Utah boys with the proper training. But the business man of tomorrow must know what he is about, as is rarely true of the business — man of today. Blasphemy almost! Nevertheless Edward N. Hurley, formerly chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, is responsible for the astonishing statement that two-thirds of the business men of the United States do not know the actual cost price of the goods they are selling. By this he means that a confectioner, for instance, does not know with scientific accuracy what proportion of the rent, clerk hire, leakage and waste should be borne by a pound of candy. With an air of profound penetration he writhes in his swivel chair and "guesses" it ought to bear about so and so, being sure to guess high enough to play safe. That method worked fairly well in the past but a new business man is coming upon the stage. He has a training that will enable him to reduce labor costs by getting more service from employees without friction and fatigue ; he will be able to standardize equipment and analyze with scientific accuracy the various elements that make up the actual cost of goods. Consequently when he announces a sale at the lowest possible margin of profit he knows what he is doing. The inefficient business man "guesses" he can sell as low as any body else, is forced to do so in fact. He will consequently be dashed upon the rocks of failure. He will not be able to hold his own with the modern competitor who values every factor that affects the cost of a commodity. In various ways business is entering a new era that will demand the most skilled training of its devotees. Prospective business men should take this to heart. A Utah financier confessed recently that he had no difficulty in the past when he could run his business to suit himself with rudimentary accounting; but under the new order, worse confounded by taxes on excess profits and incomes, he is baffled. Professional auditing is coming to the front. The Federal Reserve board encourages banks to present audited statements of concerns whose paper they are marketing. Credit associations are stoutly urging audited statements from their clients. Investors everywhere, tired by being fleeced longer by wild-cat schemes, will purchase stock from companies only that are willing to submit audited statements. This change in the business temper of the age is covered by the terms "cost accounting" and "scientific management." It

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will open up a new world of opportunities in business and accounting. Utah has now a son putting concerns in the East on the new basis. He is paying his assistants $2,000 a year and is earning $5,000 himself. Contrast with him the sad case of the old-time book-keeper in our offices drawing $100 a month as long as he is able to draw breath. Business reconstruction will wield a Midas wand in Utah. Manufacturing is in its infancy here. Yet from my window at the Agricultural College I can see the smoke of a half dozen factories. Sego condensed milk, canned in this county, was on all the battle fronts of Europe. Cache alone has four sugar factories and others are rising like magic in distant parts of the state. Morgan peas are served in the most exclusive hotels of New York City, and the pea factories of Cache and Sanpete are turning out products just as good. We have meat packing plants, cereal plants, power plants, canneries too numerous to mention. The number of such organizations would unquestionably total two or three hundred, and yet our factory development is just beginning. Twenty years ago such concerns could have been counted on ten fingers. These firms clamor for trained help. "If you cannot give us a graduate send us a sophomore" is by no means an unknown request of college authorities. What efficiency means in factory production was vividly brought to the attention of Americans by Mr. Schwab's handling of our ship-building problem over which we were so discouraged last summer. In six months' time his skillful management increased the output of the yards 100 percent. This feat did possibly as much as any other one thing to turn the tide against the Hun. Young men of Utah, undeveloped resources in agriculture, in business, in manufacturing, surround you. Meet them with all the enthusiasm of your young hearts. Put into the game the integrity, the pluck, and the common sense inherited from your sturdy forefathers. In addition bring to it that which your — fathers could not get expert training. It is your personal, unusual opportunity and at the same time an obligation that Utah lays upon you. She must share with the other states of the Union the problems and harvests of reconstruction. Logan, Utah