Flaxseed | bush| 14,646| 8,473| 14,296| 13,749| 18,353 Sugar beets | tons| 6,549| 5,980| 6,228| 5,585| 5,391 Tobacco | lbs| 1,266,686|1,196,451|1,153,278|1,034,679| 991,958 All hay | tons| 86,254| 94,930| 110,992| 88,686| 81,640 Cotton |bales| 11,818| 11,302| 11,450| 16,135| 14,259 Sorghum sirup|galls| 29,757| 34,175| 13,668| | Peanuts | bush| 52,617| 56,104| 35,324| | Broom corn, 5| tons| 52| 52| 39| | States| | | | | | Clover seed | bush| 1,248| 1,439| 1,706| | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [8] no estimate The same point of view is expressed in the following extract: "It is not usually understood that the chief cause of the enormously high prices of the necessities of life at the present time is their relative scarcity. The supply of necessities in this country has not materially increased, but the demand for them, owing to the requirements of our Allies, has enormously increased. We can prevent a still further soaring of prices only by increased production of necessities--increased production to be accomplished, let it be repeated through a diversion of productive power from the non-essential lines. "The wealthy have often been urged since the war started to spend lavishly on luxuries and to economize on necessities in order that the necessities will remain for consumption by the poor. This is sheer shortsightedness; for the energy devoted to the production of luxuries for consumption by the wealthy would, if diverted to the production of essentials, give us a sufficient supply of the necessities of life that all might have them in relative abundance. The result of a policy of spending lavishly on luxuries is an inadequate production of necessities and hence prices so high as to cause real privation among the masses. Those engaged in producing luxuries obviously cannot at the same time be engaged in producing necessities." In a war of attrition, physical deterioration of the masses of society in consequence of inadequate nourishment was certain to result in a serious decline in national morale, and this was a decided factor in the final outcome of the struggle. Food and other physical necessities would win the war. Mr. F. A. Vanderlip used the same argument for economies: