The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-03-08

Your two recent articles dealing with the
" Farmers Institute and " Division of the
Soil are deserving of careful consideration
and thought, as they embody suggestions preg-
nant with importance 10 the farmers OF VIZ
GINA. With your permission l would
like 10 submit few comments on the
several questions touched upon, with
view Of eliciting discussion. You have
rightly. in my opinion. struck az the three
points most vitality affecting the prosperity Of
our famers. viz: High tariff, too large farms
and bad roads
THE TARIFF.
The first. the tariff question, In : not yet re-
ceived that attention at the hands Of the
farmers which its importance deserves, but
they are slowly awakng 20 the fact that It's
sole effect IS 10 burden them with unnecessary
taxes in order 10 still further enrich class
who have already grown enormously wealthy
through It's operations The need OF the
farmers is markets for their crops. This Will
continue to be So So long as the production il
so greatly IN excess of the demands o. tho
people of this country. and We have the hlgh
authority Of Mr.. Blaine for tine truth that the
late Tariff bill did not open q market Tor one
barrel OF flour or one bushel of corn" II Is
not reasonable To- expect the nations OF Ia
rope 20 take our products SO long as We refuse
to take theirs. Trade will always flow mn re-
ciprocal channels and be greatest between
those nations whore there Is the freest eK-
change of commodities and the least need for
the shipment Of bullion TO settle differences.
AMERICAN corn IN ENGLAND.
strong proof of this Is 20 be- seen now m
the English market for corn. American corn
IS very scarce on that market and Is now sell
ing for over eighty cents . bushei whilst here
II is worth only from slxty-twO TO siNty-tour
cents Instead of supplying the deficiency
from this country England is now drawing
her supply of this article largely from South
America. which buys largely from her. aud
our farmers are missing the market for
their surplus corn. II. instead If negotiating
reciprocity treaties with South America
which Is essentially an agricultural country.
and which will. therefore, largely cNupctr
with the products OF our own farmers. I'D.
Blaine had devoted his energies % reducing
the tariff on goods from England. that country
would now have been drawing her corn from
this country. and the price here would have
been nearer eighty cents than sNty-tWo.
TOO LARGE Farms.
The second point IOO-large farms raises
the whole question of Immigration. for only
10y this means can we secure the people needed
% till the country when cut up into farms or
moderate size That farming Will I'm the fil-
ture be compelled 10 be conducted on the IN
trusive rather than the extensive system can
not think. be questioned, II II is % be
Iemuneatiye employment. The growing
scarcity and high price of labor and the re-
duced value OF all farm products IS likely %
continue for some years, and will, Of Itself.
force this conclusion. Farming so conducted
is now, and viii ALWAYS be. remunerative, and
rs time go,- 10y will grow more profitable.
IMMIGRATION WANTED.
What is needed then is people 20 settle
upon our lands when cut up into farms ~
moderate area. You seem % be very le~slin-
istlc as 10 obtaining these. / think there need
be no such view taken if only the State will
rightly appreciate the importance % hor vel
fare and prosperity of encouraging and aiding
the work. True. # we are To- Judge Of her flu
ture steps by her past We might rightly des-
pair. for hitherto she has practically done
nothing. One Northwestern State and even
California and Florida do more IN one year
10 encourage immigration than the state q
Virginia has done in the whole uf her sl-called
efforts. The creation OF a Commissioner OF
immigration with no Appropriation ID for
ward the work, which il should be the sole
business of his Office 10 do, Will not bring
people 10 the country The West
ern States. California and Florida are
and have been for years advertised IN every
country i'll Europe, and agricultural papers
from those States are sent by the millions of
copies for distribution IN every country, you
may find these advertisements and paper, IN
every town and country village in the 'Old
country but no where will you find Virginia
mentioned, and those who come here find
their way by their own volitiOn. This costs
money but 10 Is money well spent. or those
States would not continue the policy year az
ter year. believe that If similar steps were
taken here, that in two OF three years time
wa should have such an inflow Of people as
would make an appreciable effect IN breaking
up the large plantations. and increased taxes
drawn from the new corners would recoup the
State for every cent Of the out lay. and bring
prosperity 70 our people In addition % al
vertlslng largely. many Of the English colo
MES also pay the fares Of the immigrants to
secure them, and yet they find that the bust
ness pays the country. Here there would be
no necessity for this as the cost Of reaching
Virginia from Europe is 50 small.
GOOD ROADS IMPERATIVE
could say much more on this subject but
already my letter IS too long. and | wish 10
say few words on the last. but not the least.
important of your points the road question
Unquestionably this is one feature which him
ders the development of our State. | have
known many instances where properties would
have been at once sold 20 Northern people
and 10 Englishmen but for our horrible roads,
and yet in the face OF such well known in
stances, our people refuse TO face the difficulty
and you seem 10 regard it IA almost insuper-
able in the present state of the finances Of the
State and people.
| differ from you in this view. If rightly
approached 1t Is a surmountable difficulty,
even under our present state.
LET THE STATE ACT
Roads are national necessities as much as
are the preservation of law and order: in
deed, they largely cOnduce 10 these ends.
Let then the State take up this question and
face the difficulty. To leave it TO local action
means simply TO defer it indefinitely and to suf
fer the continued loss which its existence en-
tails upon US. Sooner or laterit will have 20 be
met IL this way. and the sooner the better for
the State and for the people. IL is, no doubt,
true that our farmers could not bear the taxa
ton necessary 10 enable them locally 20 bear
the cost of making good system OF macada-
mixed roads through the State by local action.
but by national or State action this cost could
be so reduced and extended over so.long a
period as. think. 10 be clearly within their
power 20 bear.
l believe from careful inquiry that if the
money annually wasted in sO-called road re-
| pairing and making in every county in the
State was capitalized, that 1t would furnish a
| fund which would of itself go far TO make us
| a good system of roads throughout the entire
State, and that their future maintenance and
| the repayment of the loan necessary 10 effect
| this would be SO small as TO be well within
| their power 10 bear without taking into ac-
| count the enormous saving in Wear and tear
| of teams and vehicles and freight charges
| which would follow such course.
HOW THEY DO IN ENGLAND.
To effect such a work as this would need
the introduction OF system analogous 10