The nonpartisan leader. [volume], August 16, 1917, Image 6

About The nonpartisan leader. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1915-1921

Image provided by: State Historical Society of North Dakota

                
AScently
It is not a new idea, but the
war and the accompanying food
shortage and high prices have
shown a new chance for "putting
it over."
There is nobody who opposes
the settlement of idle land. Every
body wants to see it occupied and
cultivated. Nobody will argue
that the land ought not to be
populated with as many independ
ent, prosperous farmers as it can
support. Nobody will argue
against intensified and diversified
farming methods as such.
nonpartisan leader
Official Magazine of the National Nonpartisan League—Every Thursday.
Entered as second-class matter September 3, 1915, at the postoffice at Fargo,
North Dakota, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
OLIVER S. MORRIS, EDITOR
Advertising rates on application. Subscription, one year, in advance, $2.50
Blx months, $1.50. Communications should be addressed to the Nonpartisan
Leader, Box 941, Fargo, North Dakota.
MEMBER OF AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS
THE S. C. BECKWITH SPECIAL AGENCY, Advertising Representatives,
New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Kansas City.
Quack, fradulent and irresponsible firms are not knowingly advertised, and
we will take it as a favor if any readers will advise us promptly should they
have occasion to doubt or question the reliability of any firm which patronizes
our advertising columns.
A BIG BUSINESS PROPAGANDA
A solution of the high cost of living and the scarcity-of-food
problems, some supposedly well-intentioned persons have re
put forth a plan to encourage the breaking up of large
farms into small plots. It is also proposed to bring in great numbers
of immigrants, both to take up land now idle and to farm the smaller
farms made out of the bigger ones. The smaller farms, under the plan,
are to take up intensified, diversified farming. A series of conventions
has been called in one state to boost this proposition. It is not stated
in the advance notices how these things are to be accomplished.
This is not a new propaganda. It has been fostered by the real
estate interests, the land speculators, the money lenders and the rail
roads for many years. Such a plan means more profits for these in
terests, and they can not be blam
ed for investing huge sums in
publicity to educate'' the people
around to their view. Control of
politics has enabled these inter
ests to use agricultural colleges,
county agents and experiment sta
tions maintained by taxation of
the farmers to spread the doc
trine.
mmMv
In
WILLING
But THERE IS AN OBJEC
TION to this new attempt to put
forward the "better farming"
propaganda of Big Business. The
plan proposed is going at the
proposition backwards. In one
way, and in only one way, can
diversified farming, settlement of idle lands and a bigger farm popu
lation be brought about. That way is by MAKING FARMING PROF
ITABLE. Any attempt to encourage immigration artificially without
first solving the marketing problems, and making farming for those al
ready on the land a safer business, is rank folly and injustice—and
will fail. Why bring in other farmers to compete with existing farm
ers when those already on the land are struggling for existence?
There will be no need of conventions or huge publicity funds to
encourage immigration when we have once for all driven the grafter
out of the market places, and cut out the speculators and unnecessary
toll takers between the farmer and the consumer, thus assuring the
farmer the fair share of what he produces and permitting the food to
reach the consumer at prices somewhere near what it is worth. When
farming becomes profitable there will be a rush to the land. At the
game time land speculators must be put out of business, so idle land
can be bought at a reasonable figure.
To bring in larger farming populations to be exploited by Big
Business is treason to the man already on the land who is fighting for
a square deal. To foster immigration for the benefit of the land
SPEAKING OF PATRIOTISM
&
£v- s.
r~vr
S'
speculators, the money lenders, the railroads and allied interests id
worse than treason.
Do these interests expect farmers already on the land to cut
their own throats by encouraging more competition in a business that
does not yet supply a safe living, let alone profit, to those already in it!
Do these interests expect farmers to support a plan to sell idle lands
at exorbitant prices to new farmers, who will be brought in to furnish
more graft for money lenders and useless middlemen?
No! Let farming be made a safe business, like banking, for in
stance. Take grafters from the backs of farmers. Make farming
profitable. Throttle the land speculator. Then all the land will be
settled. Then diversification will come. Then the drift toward farm:
tenantry and away from farm ownership, now reaching an alarming
stage, will cease. Then food shortage will not be a problem.
Some society women canvassed the districts where workingmen live
in the Twin Cities, asking housewives to sign cards pledging' them "to
help win the war" by conserving food and stopping kitchen waste. These
women were shocked when the wives of the workingmen informed them
that they had to observe a rigid policy of food conservation and waste
elimination even in peace times. "We couldn't exist unless we did," said
the workingmen's wives. What a shocking thing for the society women
to find out!
THE PEOPLE VS. WAR PROFITS
(HE senate finance committee has finished the redraft of the war
revenue bill. The result is intolerable. The people will not
stand for it a minute. With the country clamoring for the
heaviest kind of taxation on those who are making money out of war,
the senate committee places a tax on sugar, coffee, tea and cocoa,
which will have to be met by the common people, who are already fur
nishing the lives to fight the war. With swollen incomes of the rich'
piling up wealth which will oppress the people more and more and
which, with an adequate excess
NOTHIHGJ?«|||,
DOING
money out of war, as the senate committee understands it. And the
senate committee stands for it!
We have been patient. We have accepted the slogan that this is a
war for democracy. We have backed the president in what appeared
to be his honest efforts to really make it a war for democracy. But
how long can the government continue to make the people believe this
is a war for democracy, if the senate finance committee's war tax bill
stands?
war profits tax, could furnish!
most if not all of the war taxes,
the senate committee eliminates
the Lenroot amendment increas
ing surtaxes on incomes of $40,000
to $1,000,000 a year.
Food is 30 to 50 per cent cheaper in England than the United States.
Yet England is existing on American-produced food. "What do you make
of that, Watson?" as Sherlock Holmes used to say.
ECONOMISTS SPEAK
TUDENTS of economics and sociology are strongly in favor of
conscription of wealth, to finance the war, according to a refer
endum vote taken by "Equity," a magazine published at Phila
delphia, devoted to bettering the processes of government.
"Equity" sent a questionaire to all members of three learned
societies of national scope—the American Economic association, the
PAGE six
Huge war profits are to be al
lowed while the people pay a tax
on parcel post packages and bank
checks. Great incomes and for
tunes are scarcely to be touched
while the people pay a tax for
owning automobiles, which have
become a necessity, especially to
farmers and small business men.
The moderate taxes placed on
excess war profits by the commit
tee are defended on the ground
that unless the makers of muni
tions and war supplies are to re
tain a good, round profit, they
will not manufacture enough sup
plies for the armies. What a com
mentary on patriotism! "Unless
you let us make huge profits "out
-of the bleeding and suffering of
the people in war times, we will
not supply your armies which are
fighting to make the world safe
for democracy." This is the
answer of those who are making