Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1907-01-11
LAND MINUS POVERTY.
DREAM OF THE ECONOMISTS Full
FILLED IN THE WEST.
The Vast Grain Field Where There
Are No Poorhouses, No Fresh Air
Fund, No Charity Work, Because
None Is Needed-UniversaI Rule
That of Prosperity.

tNohS 70 Neeoeo-OniVeTSdl hule
That of Prosperity.
The dream Of the economist Is a
land without poverty. The ambition
of the statesman is a people without
want, able to obtain those necessaries
the use of which will permit them to
maintain a state of physical efficiency.
The jewellers on the great plains of
America approach near to that ideal.
From the Missouri River to the
Rocky Mountains. from Canada to the
new State of Oklahoma is one vast
grain field. 1t is the home of agricul-
turists and of people whose prosperity
depends directly on the products Of
the farm. To be sure, there are mines
and oil and manufacturing; but the
staple resource of the region is the
farm.
When the crops fail the general in
come languishes, and this is the test
OF community's basis. In all that
territory are only three large cities,
Omaha, Kansas City and the Mime
apolis st. Paul settlement ST. Louis,
though on the west side of the
river, does not belong in the Prairie
State catalogue. Denver is primar-
lily mining centre.
Each of these cities is remarkably
prosperous; each of them has more
work for laborers than there are la
borers for hire; each is building and
extending its limits as never before.
The problem of the poor, the struggle
of the tenement house and the efforts
of organized charity are little known.
Poverty is unperceived because the
! opportunity for wage earning is, and
has been, present in these rapidly de-
veloping communities, advancing as
they have from villages to cities of
10000 to 100000, in practically unin-
| terrupted progression. The construc-
ton of municipal Improvements, the
erection of stores, public buildings and
dwellings, the multitude of other i'm
| proyements, added to the manufac-
turing industries. gave all not physi-
| cally incapacitated a chance.
Have you fresh air fund or plan
for open air outings?" we asked of
some church workers in one of the
Vests bustling cities.
why should WEI" was the reply,
when a walk of a few blocks takes
any one to the fields and running
streams? This is only a big country
town, after all"
| A big country town-perhaps that
best expresses the present day cOndi-
tion of the Western cities, those that
form the centres of population for the
inland empire. They retain some of
the freshness and the heart interest
of smaller municipalities and of the
open lands.
| More true is it of the middle class
] cities that are scattered, two or three
in State. over the level leagues,
| gaining sustenance from local agri-
] cultural surroundings. They are in
deed big country towns.
On their boulevards one sees in
summer evenings happy families
slowed away in comfortable Surveys;
coatless husbands Longing on lawns
they themselves have moved; neigh
1
best residence street as well as in
the farthest suburb
Past the finest houses in the town
roll the automobiles and along the
same streets roll perambulators push
ed by workers in the creamery or in
the carriage factory. 1t is a demo
cratic procession that makes up the
moving picture and you wonder where
are the poor of this community of
10000 people.
you mean the colored population?"
suggests your host. Needn't worry
about them. They are getting along
all right We would be glad to pay
the women four or five dollars week
as servants. but they will not work
for us. They say they do not have
to do that. They can work by the day
half the time and make more money.
So we hire them by the day part Of
the time and do our own work the
remainder of the week Poverty? Go
into their homes. Some of them have
pianos; organs are common-they
don't suffer"
| but you give 10 CHdTlIy!
"Of course. Occasionally family
is found that needs help. The father
or mother is ill, death or accident has
lessened the income. When that hap
pens and it is known supplies are
forthcoming in abundance and the
needy ones are we'll cared for. We do
not have any suffering poor with us
in any other sense"
So it is in other small cities, Des
Moines, Dubuque, Lincoln, Wichita,
Topeka, Sioux Falls, Fargo, Pueblo,
Guthrie, Muskogee. Up and down the
plains region, travel from one busy
capital to another, from one business
centre to another, it is all the same
story.
Are all rich? No, not even a con-
siderable portion rich, as the world
goes. The list of millionaries places
less than dozen in all this empire
of as many States, and it is probable
been overestimated.
But in these towns there is no fringe |
of that desolation or of poverty strick. |
en- dependence which mark equally |
large cities OF the Eastern States. |
Every resident enjoys a familiar ac-
quaintance with green grass, flowers, |
pure air and sunshine; every one in |
good health has sufficient to eat and |
wear without dependence on aims.
] Then come the villages and small |
towns-most of them dignifying them |
selves in due Western boastfulness |
with the title city. They may have |
only $50 Inhabitants or the census
taker may find 5000 to 10000. In
neither event does he find reminders
of pinched resources nor lack of neces-
saries.
Take typical community of 5000 |
people out in central Kansas. 1t is |