The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-08-01


the widespread interest in the question
of HOW most effectually and cheap
ly and quickly to place the social unit in
direct touch with the Source of his Life.
With a soil so rich that it has pro-
duced the most magnificent forests on
the continent, with a climate unrivalled
in all the elements that tend to develop
Il perfect type OF manhood ana woman
hood and in Il geographical position on
the planet that seems to destine this
Northwest as the crossroads OF the
worlds commerce in the not very distant
future--all these are but evidences to
the eye of faith of the glorious destiny
that awaits the cities that shall grow
up around this new Mediterranean ana
on these modern Isles of Greece
But let us not forget that 1t is the
Men and Women that make a country
great and give it historic significance
| in the evolution of the Race. 1t is not
Eastern capital that we need in con-
quering this greater New England so
| much as the choice and pick of her sons
and daughters. With these and the
| boundless opportunities that we may of.
fer there will grow up on the shores of
the western sea breed of men as SUI
perior to us their fathers as the Greeks
of the outside world. Only we and they
shall point the way whereby ALL the
children of men may attain the same
perfection of vigorous manhood ana
beautiful womanhood 1t is not East
ern capital that shall conquer this will
derness, but Western men. If we are
wise, we snail 11nQ Il way " CIedlc llOh
Natures boundless resources our own
capital as needed, as our fathers did on
| the Eastern shores of the continent.
Here we found crop OF wonoer ait
richness covering all the land and walt
| ing the hand of the reaper. That un7
| earned increment" of more than royal
magnificence is being rapidly harvested
and-to our shame, be it said-WaSted
This meeting is for the purpose OF de-
vising ways and means whereby the
stubble of this volunteer crop may pc
cleared away and the soil fitted for the
nlow At present these lands are prac-
tically worthless and will so remain un-
| til stumps and roots have been removed,
but potentially they are the source 7i+ oil
| in the limits to say that the average
| square mile of our logged-off lands will
return to the hand of labor $4,000 per
annum when once the surface is cleared
| of the stubble of it's first great crop;
| For future harvests man must SOW and
pillow before he can hope to reap
But this clearing of the Stuop!e by
any form of northumberland methods yet
| discovered will require an expenditure
| of not less than 100000 OF human en-
| ergy per square mile. BY this method
getting a foothold where he may ENJOY
| life He can never hope to make nome
| in the modern sense which implies nelgh-
bors. good roads, the daily mail, church
and school privileges, books, magazines,
and the means to go to the city When a
really great actor, orator or musician
close cooperation absolutely impossible
in thinly settled community. All these
luXuries of our fathers have become
necessities to their children: IneSe eS-
| capable of realization only to the degree
that we learn to combine our energies IA Il
moldng the raw materials OF tne Wollu
into forms of use and beauty. II way
can be found by which to turn loose
the latent powers resident in every com
munity the problem will move rapidly
|
Some ON months ago, through the kind
ness of the editor of The Ranch, was
permitted to lay before its readers d
brief outline of a plan that Will easily
attain this ideal and which he has gen,
erously dubbed the "Varnum ldea
though doubt not the idea has occurred
to many others who have tho4 tgnug on
the subject. The more L nave th0ughI
of it since, the more convinced l am
that it offers a means OF sowing me me
question of clearing the !ogged-or1 lanqs
a final and complete, solution OF tne
problem of the unemployed that is per
ennially with us. 1t is a plan by the
which the farmer can nave ms ms p lost
powerful machinery and have from Ten
to twenty years to pay for 1t Wlthout
interest At the same time 1t n 1oI nor
cost the county or any other taxpayer
in the county single cent. 1T IS SIM
ply asked that the county loan It's credlt
to those who wish land cleared NOW
firm. can profit by doing business for
the indieidual unit without profit. The
private contractor must charge a pronl
in excess of the actual cost and he
tends to charge all the traffic will bear.
But under public initiative, there is no
incentive for Snohomish county to wiring
a nrofit from Smith in order to lessen
Browns taxes In other words, the plan
| have in mind is simply a method FOR
exchanging SERVICES on equitable
terms We do not all own or wish to
own land to clear, but we are all inter
ested directly, socially and financially In
having all tillable land in use. The ma
ouires that each of it's members shall,
as far as possible become self-support-