Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1906-03-30
BUILD TENANT HOUSES
Mossback Tells Farmers Why
They Should Build.
SUGAR BEETs HERE TO STAY
Interesting Figures Showing Money
Received by Growing Sugar
Beets.

week we are told by the farmers tina
they would raise beets if they were sur
OF the help. They say they cannot ever
get help enough for their other crops
Again, do not ask us to repeat the words
of some of the farmers, who tell us thai
since the d sugar beets got into the
country they cannot get help to worl
in anything else. Be this as it may, one
thing is certain, either the farmer mus,
raise the crop he can get the help tc
assist him in caring for, or he must
resort to some other method to secure
help. Why not both, but how? Let us
see. What have you done? Simply
kicked, or have you asked some mai
with large family not to get to close
to your farm for fear his unruly boys
and chickens would commit some depre-
dations. Or, have you gone little
further, or rather gotten little closer,
and offered to let him live in some one
else's house, one or two miles away,
anu walk over each day, eating a cold
dinner, and walking back again after
the days work. In case his wife or
children help, they must do likewise.
Perhaps, YOU have an old barn like
building, somewhere way back in which
your help may live, if they will be good,
and not keep cew or chickens. 1t may
be you have suggested that they get a
piece of canvas somewhere and 60 back
near the woeds using some crooked
sticks and some straight sticks Gf they
are dead sti5ks-and put up dwelling
good enough. If they acted on your
advice did they receive a parting
admonition from you mot to cut any
wood. The water to be used can be
gotten in the ditch or over st neighbor
Brow's.
But change about, face Look into
the mirror. Do you look anything like
the fellow you are asking to work for
you? Does your wife and children look
anything like that mans wife and
children? If so, would you like to have
him try to hire you under similar con-
ditions if you and he were to change
plaoes2 Knowing as you would, that
you could go to town and live in a COM
Portable house, and find employment in
no more tedious occupation than the
farmer has for you, we believe you
would refuse proposition of this kind
Think this over brother Farmer, and
take into consideration how many peo-
pie would seek the towns for work if
there were no houses in which to live.
Show us such place and we will show
you dead town with no wheels roll
ing. The blinds ON the houses will be
1p and so will the notice "For Sale",
md the business will be gone to the next
'own. Labor will naturally go where
'he work is, if it can get place in which
% live just as naturally as water will !
eek its own level:
The trouble is friend Farmer we are
n the business and we must not be
'baiged to put up the blinds. A farm
8 like building, if idle, it will depre-
late in value. The weeds will grow,
he fences will decay, and your own
dwellings, will deteriorate. But you say
yhatis the remedy? Farmer Allen has
old you to build tenant houses. He is
peaking from experience. For years
e has had two of them ON his farm
Vith good well of water near by. But
ome one throws up his hands in holy
orror and says, them pesky chickens,
hoo. Shoe nothing. Pnt the tenant
ouse little distance away from your
wn dwelling if you so desire. Around
he house inclose one-half acre with
hicken park wire. 1t will cost but
cry little, and it is your own property
nd will more than add that much to |
our real estate. But some one saws. I
don't care l won't have it. Brown '
nd Smith can build tenant houses if c
hey want to but / will not. I'll rent \
~ farm first and go to town, as there !
re no houses in the country / can get. L
Veil, try it, and see if that hired mans {
kids" and chickens can DESTROY as p
luch as your farm will run down if n
'nted, and note the conditions of your t
'rm and dwellings after year or two Z
this treatment. p
Do you belong to the Farmers Club? s.
o you belong to the Grange, or other g
Irmers organization? If so, are You
scussing this labor question. Are YOU
what it means not to have Fl
place in your neighborhood In which b
house the help you know you must al
I'VE? Are you waiting for the other II