The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-10-25
SOME LEADING EDITORIALS.
From the Bolton (Tcxas) Journal
FROM RENT TO OWNER-HOWf


method Of lettering their condition. It Is
q healthy sign. and the movement must
ultimate in good. Let there DO conserva-
tlsm In all done and said, and those d.
rectly concerned will be benefited by dis
cussion and By pursuing practicable and
sensible plans. Occasionally some one
indulges In rash utterunce. but this does
no possible good and only tends to delay
the millennial dawn. Civilization Is safe
10 long % men really wish for or possess
homes. 1t has occurred TO US that the only
solution Of this problem confronting the
renter is land ownership for himself and
little ones, and to this end all his energics
should be bent. Buy a small tract--start
of with twenty, thirty or forty acres-and
thus transfer from the present condition to
proprietorship. Let us suppose that twenty
men agree to stand together In the pur-
chase OF Thousand acres OF land; that
they enter into binding agreement to pay
for same with their combined labor, and
subsequently make a fair and equitable
division according TO prior arrangement
what Is tho reason something Of that sort
couldn't be made practicable? 1t would
simply BIO applied socialism to accomplish
a certain end, to be terminated when the
end is reached 1t will be urged that pos
sibIy two or three would fail to bear their
part OF the burden; that could be provided
for In the original plan, and the dereiict
would simply 20 to the wall--"the survival
of the flttest" lis 80 very memorable In its
application that failure to observe 1t
means ruin for the race, and no man or
set OF men can escape 1t In the end Men
we know In plenty who could make
grand success OF scheme like this, just
as these Central hotel women have done.
AS TO discussion OF money rent and all
such, no permanent settlement is involved;
ownership OF the land Is the real solution,
and how to effect that Is the thing 10 dis
cuss and to plan for. Small farms we'll
titled. owned by those who till--that is
the true solution OF the difficulty. and
those concerned must put their heads and
hearts together-must plan for CO. opera
tive purchase and a joint payment, II they
would end their present unenviable lot
for tenantry Ia truly unenYiable. We stand
pledged 10 aid these men in every legiti-
mate endeavor to better their condition,
and we hope the meeting 10 be held at HOl-
land today will run along practical lines,
free from all bitterness, for 1t Is a eondi-
ton and not n theory with which they are
dealing. In many respects the successful
German farmers Of this county--the men
who began with comparatively nothing
and now own good farms--owe their sue
cess to cooperative effort; "clannishness"
we Americans call It, when really they
worked on the principle OF aiding each
other. aud some such spirit must possess
those who would possess the land; they can
combine. purchase on favorable terms, and
In the end become independent.
From the Fansas City Star.
BETTER CROP REPORTS PROMISED.
The announcement that Secretary VIII
son intends to thoroughly overhaul the
crop reporting bureau of the agricultural
department Is welcome news TO all who
are Interested In crop statistics. The bu-
reau has been 80 badly managed for sew
eral years that 1t has been of little value.
and all we'll informed grain men Deepen
on the Information furnished by private
crop bureaus, rather than on the official
information gathered at great expense by
the department of agriculture.
The government statistlcian not only
sends out reports OF home crops which
ton respecting foreign crop conditions
""i'ii ne supplies Is anyways inohtn oiu-
sometimes more than that, In these days,
when changed crop conditions anywhere
IN me world are promptly cablei to all the
central gram markets. 1t Is folly Tor the
department at Washington 10 waste time
ana money disseminating every month
reports or European crops that have come
across the ocean by mail ana lain in the
ohlce at washington week or wo be-
'ore Their publication.
TAR example OF the inaccnracy OF the
government crop reports Is furnished by
mgures on the wheat crop of Nebraska.
Inc information sent out from Washing
ION Indicates wheat yield OF 2l,0Q0.000
bushels IN that state. The State report
mace public yesterday, which agrees with
all private information on the subject,
IL shortage OF l2,ooc.ooo bnshels-36 per
o ormsln tne govonnineat estimate OF the
errors in more than ha,f a do,sn ,m, o.
tant States almost as great us this one.
IN the past SIX years the actual distri-
s,atos a ol "nea. ra,Sei N inc United
bushels per annum In excsss =, ,he ,,nv0
eminent estimates OF the crops. Year az
,el year the statist'cian has been repeat