Connecticut western news., 1909-12-02
JAMES ]. HILL FEARS
 NATIONS DOWNFALL
CAUSED BY MUCH EXTRAvAGANCE
Railroad Man Believes High Living Will Destroy Moral Fabric of Nation Government Shouldn't Buy Guns But Spend Money on Farms.

out openu money on farnlS'
 James J. Hill, the pioneer of the northwest and one of the most con- spicuous railroad men of the world believes that the United States must recede from its extravayance. the Lu- cullian way of living, aud get back to the old way of hog, hominy and milk or else go to destruction.
 "Not only America, but Europe" he said recently to an interviewer at his office in New York, "is afflicted with the germ of recklessness. Our national legislature sets the pace.
 "We are spending millions on top of millions for the army, for the navy. when we need neither. For congress to appropriate the several hundred millions annually, as it does, for the guns of the ships is encouragement for the individual to talk about warfare when there isn't any war cloud apparent anywhere.
 COMMERCIAL WAR NEEDED.
 Grant said. Let us have peace But, as Napoleon desired for his time and his reign, this country seems to wish war. And why and for what {? What reason have we to combat, ex- cept commercially. and foreign power {? And yet, speaking soberly, will say that we must do something quickly toward regaining our trade with other countries
 "Germany, England and France arc advancing and pre-empting territory that naturally belongs to us. We ca recover that trade only by encourae ing shipping industries, by more marke; methods of inviting trade, by systems O reciprocity, by competition-the latter after all, being the real keynote O: commerce,
 Were in control of the finances this government l should spend mor for the development of the farm an. less for the fineness of firearms. should have agricultural stations sir uated in all parts of the nation wher one might come to be taught how {, grow two blades of grass where but or, grew before.
 HAVE TOO FEW PRODUCERS.
 "Think of the congestion ill the cities How long can this nation survive under present conditions? We have few pro ducers, multitude of consumers. have forgatten the figures. but some. where have read that 70 per cent of the people live in city houses, steam heated flats; in homes unsuited for health, unequipped for the sturdiness necessary for the development of our manhood. I should like to see the gov ernment spend millions in the encour- agement of men and women going t. the country, there to live as God in- tended they should liye-to raise chil ren, produce grain, meat and milk.
 We must get out of the notion that we are living for the present. It is bad system of society that prompts the we'll being of to-day. caring nothing for tomorrow, for those who come after.
 PEOPLE SHOILD CiO IO fAkMS.
 Millions upon millions of acres lie undlsturbed in the west, in the south and even in the east. You have poverty stricken people in your great cities, children who are denied the privilege of education, mothers who must go through life with tear stained eyes, husbands and fathers with burdens they can i'll afford to carry. And why Because of their nonproductiveness.
 "This country as government ulti- mately must go backward unless We induce the people to go to the farms oat ln the country where health may be obtained, where a man may make a living, where the boys and girls may go hopfooting it over hill and valley, gaining strength with every step.
 "The desire seems to be for the young to get to the city. That desire must be dissipated by some sort of method. We must make the country life as attractive to the young as the oity Is. We must teach them that where the city affords dollar the rural will contribute g. And that is true unless one is genius.
 "You ask about the prosperity of the nation. It was never better. Crops have been good, mortgages have been wiped away by the millions, new fields have been opened, new cities built, new railroads constructed, others planned. . Peace reigns. I can see no black spot anywhere. There will be no central bank. The country will not stand fcrit
 Let coDgrc.,s and the various state !cs .ltrrcs toke q muie catholic view