The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-08-31
THE COUNTRY'S NEEDS
More Farms, ever Fighting Ma
chimes, Says B. r. Y0akum.
TELLS OF MONEY soUANDERED

Chairman of Rock Island Frisco Rail-
road System Declares Money Vast
ed by Government Would Reclaim
Much Land and Build Many Homes.
Expressing the opinion that the Unit
ed States government would do better
to encourage ,the development of more
farms instead of more battleships. B.
+. Yoakum. chairman of the executive
Eommittee of the Rock Island Frisco
railroad system. recently delivered at
Sha vince, Okla, before the Farmers
union of Oklahoma Il notable address
on the partnership between the rail-
roads and the farmers. He said in
| part:
'sThe farmers and the railroads are
natural partners. The first thing in
quired about by an investor i'll new
| railroad securities is the character of
the country which the road will serve.
| Ii ii can be shown that the territory TO
| be served by the new railroad is good
| farming country the greatest trouble
in finding the money to build has been
overcome On the other hand. the first
| question farmer seeking location
| in a new country asks is. What are
| its railroad facilities:'
1.-The things most needed by the
| farmer and the railroad, but which are
neglected, TO the detriment of both. are
a better acquaintance and closer work
ing relations. These mutual benefits
can be attained through the officers Ut
the Farmers union. representing the
| producers, and the officers of the rail
roads, representing the carriers. deal
| ing directly with each other.
This country now needs what our
forefathers used in laying its founda-
i tion-a lot of old fashioned common
sense.
Farmer Has Good Judgment.
Good Judgment and fair dealing are
/ found more generally among farmers
| than in persons in other occupations
and when they earnestly take hold OF
public questions they will occupy
place In our political structure that will
make their good Judgment and fair
conclusions felt more and more in soly-
ing the relations of the government
and it's institutions.
"The United States government nine
| teen years ago commenced the con-
| struction of the Illinois aud mississippi
canal. Its length is seventr-fye miles.
| and 1t has cost 10 date. with Interest
at 8 per cent. over $9GO0.00o. or $780,
GOO per mile. To maintain this canal
in its present useless rendition costs
the eountry's taxpayers $9o.Gtlii year.
exclusive of interest on the investment.
| A freight boat has never passed
through ii.
II mention this TO illustrate one I'M
dertaking of the many which. through
the lack of system or intelligent plan
ming in advance of the construction of
our inland waterways. make up the
$s0.O00000 which is referred TO by
Commissioner Herbert Knox Smith as
wasted.
THE government has expended ap-
proximately $o25.o00.0O0 on the i'm
| provement of the Mississippi river and
its tributaries. The tonnage handled
over the waters of the Mississippi Iast
| year was ene-third less than il was
twenty years ago.
i Should Make More Farms.
'The story of government extrava-
gance of this kind is being told SO
broadly through the newspapers that
the masses are beginning 10 realize
that something is wrong.
1.-THE same disregard of the va!Ge of
money would send the strongest pri-
vate business in this country into hank
ruptcy A proper use pf the pruning
knife in a downward revision of ex-
penses would bring surprising results.
sit is not practicable TO itemze where
reductions should be made but they
must come. The deficit should be
cared for by reducing expenditures and
not by raising taxes 10 increase rev
enues
The European nations are teaching
us lesson. The controversies in Eng.
land. the recent troubles in Spain. the
unrest in Russia. the quarreling over
military taxes in Germany and the
struggle against new taxes in France
should strengthen our faith in the
i proposition that 1t is better to grow
more farm products and make pros
porous the man who sows and har-
vests than TO build more battleships
and new guns.
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson re-
Gently said that the most pressing
needs of the United States are great
er proportion of farmers and more
farming land in cultivation.
I've would better spend more of the
money we burn mp in powder in max
ing new farms.
Guns Price Would Make 1876 Homes.
"A forty acre farm of irrigated land
will comfortably support a family OF
five. It costs $4,000 TO make Il twelve
inch gun. The money that goes to pay
for this gun would reclaim l.5T7i acres
of land. providing homes for 1876 peo-
pie. When all the guns on all the bat
tleships are shot one time the govern
ment blows off in noise and smoke