Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-10-10


Principal Speaker at Morning Session.
workers and earn their livelihood by
working in the canneries and the
mines for which they are paid $500
per day. They have always provided
for themselves and the only thing the
government ever did for them was to
establish schools. which naturally. is 4
great benefit.
sheep a Failure.
Out of a total of 5000 sheep shipped
To- Alaska from Oregon only a few
years ago. but so head remain so you
see il takes money 10 be stock raiser
in that territory. With cattle but lit
tie better results have been attained.
and 10 years there has convinced me
the only way 10 keep domestic animals
there is to shelter them eight months
out OF the year
Governor Sheakley concluded his re-
marks by telling of the immense posi-
bilities of the fisheries and mining
industries. which ended the morning
session.
The convention adjourned for the
noon recess following the address by
Mr. Sheakley.
Hear Dcs HOineS Wan.
One of the features of the program
this afternoon was discussion of the
Capitalization of farms. by Henry Wal
lace of Wallace's Farmer OF Des
Moines. Mr. Wallace gave his address
preceding that by Governor \. b. Cum
minis of Iowa. whose address was the
principal feature of the afternoon pro-
gram. Governor Cummins' subject
is Does the Farmer Receive His
Share of Government Recognition
Some changes in the program were
made. so that Mr. Wallace read his
paper this afternoon. He spoke as fol-
lows:
Theoretically, the little farm we'll
titled. in partnership with little wife
well willed. should furnish the maxi
mum of prosperity and happiness for
the individual and family, and of
course for the country. the state and
the nation. That seems 10 have been
the idea of Moses. the great Jewish
law giver Theoretically. it may be
distinctly stated that other things be-
ing equal, small farms with perfect IT,
tie. titled largely by the owner and his
IdulIll. are ~ TIC
material prosperity. the highest cul-
ture and the best citizenship.
Practically, however. the greatest
material prosperity if not the highest
culture and best citizenship will be
reached when the land is most pro-
ductive in dollars, but whether this
should be on the small farm or the
medium. or on the large farm depends
on circumstances and conditions Gre
ated by latitude. longitude and trans
portation 10 The markets of the world.
Belgium is a country of small farms
and is Il very rich country. Ireland is
n country of even smaller farms and il
is a poor country and will always be
poor until the farms are enlarged. for
the simple reason that the small farm,
under Irish conditions. cannot be work
ed with the highest profit. That coun-
try-is the most prosperous agricultural
~, where the farms are of size that
permits of the greatest profit TO the
owner. Whether these be large or
small depends on the crop or crops to
which the country is best adapted.
Increase in Size.
"Iowa farms are increasing i'm size |
and decreasing in numbers, and have
been ever since the country was well |
settled. the increase beginning in the |
different sections about 30 or 80 years |
after the sections were first settled. |
and will continue TO do so. in my opin- |
ion. except in certain localities. until |
there is radical change in the con-
ditions. not only in the state but in the |
limited States. This increase will not |
appear in the United States census re-
ports because three acres and over is |
therein considered farm. The devel- |
opmeut of cities will create demand
for truck farms, fruit farms and dairy
farms. The extension of trolley lines