Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-03-13
THE MoRMoNs' INDUSTRIAL SYSTEM.
NO. 43.

However much we may condemn the MOI
mons for their system of polygamy, we must
admit that in business affairs they are far in
advance of their Gentle brethren. The New
York Voice of recent date contains a lengthy
article on the Industrial System of the Nor
MONS from the pen of VIM. E. Smythe, in
which appear the details of this system. The
article is too lengthy for us to reproduce in
full but we shall aim to give our readers an
idea of the system in few extracts:
Brigham Young and his first party
of pioneers entered the valley of the Great Salt
Lake through the picturesque Emigration Can
yon, July "a, IS47. They found themselves
in the heart of an arid desert, fully 900 miles
distant from settlements of white men to the
east and west, with available capital except
the genius of their leader and the labor of their
own hands.
Up to this moment, the Anglo Saxon had
never dealt with irrigation in large way tho
the art had been practised for thousands of
years by Latins and Mongolians. Surrounded
by this strange environment, remote from out
side interference, associated with band of
hardy followers who were ready to accept and
execute his commands without question, Brig
ham Young began the making of an industrial
and social system fundamentally different from
anything which exists elsewhere in the United
States.
Brigham Young began by saying that every
family had natural right to the absolute own
ership of so much soil as would suffice for its
support, and of not one acre more. He pro-
claimed that no one should own land for the
mere purpose of holding it out of use for spec
ulative purposes He appreciated the fact that
land values would rise as settlement and inn
provement progressed, but he undertook to see
that the speculative wealth so created should
be equtably distributed among the whole pop
ulation. In this effort he was successful. as
will be seen.
According to the census of 1890, the average
size of the Utah farm is Fl acres, but this is
necessarily based on considerable number of
large ranches as we'll as the 10, 900 small farms
of the Mormons These latter, if considered
by themselves, would disclose smaller aver
age unit. Practically, none of these farms
have ever been mortgaged. They were OBJ
tanned at actual cost price, and paid no tribute
whatever to speculative holders. The irriea-
ton canals were built and controlled bv the
public and no interest has ever been paid on
watered stocks and bonds, nor has there ever
been trace of that modern economic inioutv
the annual water rental. To 1nonopoize water
in an arid country is as much of a crime. in an
ethical sense, as it would be to monopolize air
and sunshine.
Thus firmly established as class of landed
proprietors, the Mormons proceeded to make
themselves independent in an industrial sense.
Brigham Young taught them that with their
crops insured by irrigation, they could make
sure of their living by the simple process of
producing the variety of things they consume.
Twenty acres of irrigated land in a favorable
climate furnishes nearly every article on the
best bill of fare, except coffee and tea. The
home market which never fails is in the dininp-
ROOM The first object of every mans labor is
to provide shelter, raiment and three meals a
day for his family. The second object is to
make decent provision for old age Both OBJ
jects were literally realized under the industrial
system which Brigham Young established at
the foundation of his commonwealth.
President Wilford Woodruff the present head
of the church, has lived prosperously for hs
years patch of go acres. An acre and
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