THE WAR AND AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. By JOHN D. BLACK and CHARLES A. GIBBONS. (Review of Economic Statistics, v. 26, No. 1, February 1944. Harvard University Press. Cambridge, Mass. 55 pages.) THIS STUDY which is in part a continuation of the senior author's Parity, Parity, Parity, published in 1942, is both a graphic summary and a thoughtful discussion of the economic developments during the war as they affect agriculture and labor. Perhaps the title "The Relative Position of Agriculture and Labor as Influenced by the War" would have been more descriptive of a major part of the contents of this monograph than the one actually selected by the authors. The study is developed from the three parity approaches-agriculture, labor, and capital-but the first two are more fully developed than the last. The reader will find particularly valuable the comparisons of economic progress of agriculture and labor as measured from different base periods. The merits of the 1925-29 base period over either 1935-39 or 1909-14 are clearly set forth and, in the opinion of this reviewer, are deserving of further consideration. The value of these comparisons is heightened by the use of data giving a perspective over a long historical period. The statement that "Since January 1, 1942, farmers in creased their bank deposits by perhaps as much as four billion dollars" (p. 12) appears to be an overstatement in the light of more recent computations. It seems more likely that such increase was not greatly in excess of 2.5 billions. No mention is made of farmers' savings in form of currency. Although difficult of measurement, their importance in the aggregate of farmer savings is such that the picture is incomplete with their omission. DESCRIPTIVE sections are followed by sections dealing with control measures, the price outlook, and production outlook. The first of these is a summary of the various measures adopted in the price-control program. It affords the reader a concise review and appraisal of these important wartime measures. Two concluding sections, dealing with the post-war price and production prospects, appear more optimistic than current information on impending problems of reconversion would indicate as justifiable. Perhaps the closeness of these impending events-bringing an awareness of the grave problems involved in post-war national and international policies engenders more caution than would have been present when the authors completed their study. As an over-all appraisal, one must conclude that this study is a valuable addition to the history and interpretation of wartime economic develop ments. -Norman J. Wall LAND POLICY REVIEW, WINTER 1944 39 Dumbarton Oaks The task of planning the great design of security and peace has been well begun. It now remains for the Nations to complete the structure in a spirit of constructive purpose and mutual confidence. -FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT La Follette, Mary, Book Review: Give Us This Day, AGRICULTURE, AND WAR Wall, Norman J., Book Review: The War and Americar Agriculture, by John D. Black and Charles A. AGRICULTURE, POST-WAR Smith, Raymond C., Agriculture Builds for the BAYOU COUNTRY, LOUISIANA Atwater, Helen W., Book Review: The Bayous of CANADA Smith, Gordon L., Canada's Farmers Look to the COMMUNITY PLANNING Carmody, Catherine, Book Review: Action for Bean, Louis H., Book Review: The Economics of Winter. DEMOCRACY Kellogg, Charles E., Book Review: TVA. Democ - Landis, Benson Y., Book Review: Democracy Reborn, EXTENSION WORK, THIRTY-YEAR ANNIVERSARY Wilson, M. L., Thirty Years of Extension Work, Fall. FARMING Genung, A. B., Book Review: Meet the Farmers, P. Alston Waring and Walter Magnes Teller, FARMING, CANADA Smith, Gordon L., Canada's Farmers Look to the Future, Fall. FARMING, SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS Saville, R. J., Farming and Farming Prospects (Southern Appalachians), Spring. FOOD Douglass, Helen Crouch, Book Review: Its Rhyme or Reason, by Mark Man's Food: Graubard, Douglass, Paul F. Book Review: Food "Crisis" by Roy F. Hendrickson, Spring. An Wells, O. V., Book Review: Food, by Frank A. Pearson and Don Paarlberg; Food for People, by Margaret G. Reid; Wartime Food Management: Analysis with Recommendations, by Joseph S. Davis; and Food Enough and World Needs for U.S. Food and Fiber, by John D. Black, Spring. FOOD, AND WAR Edwards, Everett E., Book Review: Food, War, and the Future, by Parmalee Prentice, Fall. FOOD, PRODUCTION, AND TENANCY Greenshields, Elco L., How Tenancy Retards Food Production, Summer. FOOD, RELIEF, EUROPEAN COUNTRIES Hendrickson, Roy F., Food for First Aid, Cunningham, R. N., Impact of War on our Forests, Gaus, John M., Book Review: Wartime Government in Operation, by William H. Nicholls and John A. Vieg, Spring. HANDICRAFTS, SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS Eaton, Allen, Handicrafts and a Way of Life (Southern Appalachians), Spring. HUMAN RESOURCES, SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS Taylor, Carl C., Human resources of the Southern Appalachians, Spring. JEFFERSON, AND LAND PRACTICES Eddy, Helen L., Thomas Jefferson's Land Practices, Fall. Edwards, Everett E., Thomas Jefferson and the public domain, Summer. LAND, AND POPULATION Stewart, Charles L., Population and Land Resource Relationships, Winter. LAND, RESOURCES, DISTRIBUTION Timmons, John F., Distribution of World Land Resources, Winter. |