Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-02-28

questions answered. If it is desirable that
our vacant lands should be settled up; if it
is desirable that our large tracts of land now
held by land monopolists should he broken
up and farmed by small farmers if it Is de-
sirable that diversified agriculture shall be-
come possible and profitable in this State by
the introduction of manufactures and other
industries that bring large classes OF consum'
ers of these diversified agricultural pro.
ducts il, indeed, it is desirable that
California shall possess a self-sustaining ana
self-enrichiug people, then it is necessary that
the State take some steps to place before the
world correct and reliable information regard
ing her real resources and advantages. Let
somebody or some association be authorized
and required to collect such information as IS
demanded. Let such person or association
be furnished with the means to collect and
disseminate such information and be held
responsible for the faithful performance
of the duties thus required of them.
We are constantly crying out against the
farmers for persisting in the cultivation OF
wheat at the expense of the sure destruction
of their soil, il face of the fact that every
farmer understands very well that the only
agricultural products in which there is any
money in raising are those that have an ex-
port demand and value. There is money III
raising wheat, and wool, and wine, and some
kinds of fruits, because there is an export
demand for these products but there is but
very little money in raising products
for which there is no export demand
and value, but very little money in diver
sifed agriculture agriculture that will
preserve the fertility of cur soil, for the rea,
son that we have no population to pay for
and consume diversity of products. The
truth is, we are living upon what England
consumes. We are sending to England our
surplus wheat to get the money to buy our
agricultural implements and machinery with
to build cur fences aud our barns and
homes with-to cloth and educate our fami-
lies with, and we are sending the money
that we get from abroad, abroad again
for nearly all the neoessaries of life.
Until we stop this, until we bring people here
to consume what we raise at home and to
make what we need to produce it with, and
to clothe ourselves and families with, just so
long we will be contributing wealth to other
people and other States more than to our
selves and to our own State. SO long as we
support foreign manufactures and foreign
operatives, so long will there be laborers
among US out of employment and out
of food, and so long will labor be
scarce and high just when we want it most
Agriculture and mining are to-day the two
great sources of employment for labor, and
yet neither of these can give employment to
the laborers in the State for more than six
months in the year. This state of things
brings about an apparent surplus of labor,
and seasons of idleness and want to laborers
The remedy is not to be found in re-
ducing the number of laborers, but in
enlarging the number of sources of
employment If we had ten times the
present number of people in the State there
would be less apparent idleness, less discon-
tentment and complaint for want of some
thing to do and something to eat than there
is now, because then we would be a manu-
featuring people; then we would be giving
employment more constantly; then our
wool, our wheat, our fruit and other products
would be worked up and consumed at home,
and our money wouldgoto pay our own people
for labor rather than to pay laborers in the
Atlantic States and Europe. As State we
are just in that condition that needs new
impulse-that needs new departure in favor
of new industries, and fresh inhlx of new
workers. both by head and body. There
is no lack of room-there is no lack of induce
ment for enterprise or labor, but we are
in a sort of indefnable standstill in which
everybody is disposed to complain of every
body else, and everybody is waiting for some
body else to do something. We have nobody
with authority to speak for the natural re-
sources and advantages of the State, and no.
BODY has the means of answering for the
State the many inquiries that are constantly
being received Our light is under bushel