The Mena weekly star., 1909-11-04
WANT HOGS SHUT UP.
I. P. Fulton Quotes Figures to Show
 Present System Is Costly.
October Z9, IvU9.

who signs himself "A Farmer, and who touches briefly upon the hog law proposition, sounds the key note to an issue that will soon become of paramount importance in Polk county, and l am pleased to note that he takes the right side of the question. In iact there is but one side to this ques' tion, so far as sound logic ana good arg gument are concerned and that is in favor oi law that will compell the owners of all kinds oi hogs to keep them confined to their own premises. The man who tries to argue that there IS any benefit to be derived from the razor back hog and the ancient range theory. simply talks moon shine,' and brands himself as an advocate of the backwoods days when mast. fed pork, corn bread aud sorghum molasses, with an occasional change to bear meat, venison or possum, soda biscuits and wild honey, was all there was to the living. Conditions have changed, but the free-range man has not moved peg forward and so we must move him. We must convince him that it is not econo
 my or even good sense for him to live in a country where he can produce from 20 to 30 bushels of corn per acre and when he has good pasture for nine months m the year and pure running water all the time, and yet buy his meat and lard from the store keepers. We must convince him that 1t is cheaper for him 10 fence up his own hogs than 1t is 10 fence against all the proving razor- backs in the country, and we must convince him that 1t takes less feed and less trouble to fatten Poland China or Red Duroc than 1t does TO get three or four razor-back pigs ready for the slaughter pen, and we must con vince him that in order to pros per he must have something to ship out of the country that will bring iu money, instead of pay ing high prices for stuff that has to be shipped into the country.
 Iu this connection 1 desire to submit some figures that 1 have taken the trouble to get together, and ii 1 have over estimated them in any instance l want some one who IS better posted 10 correct me. Take the small towns on the Kansas City Southern, between Mena and De Queen, for instance; beginning with Rust, in Polk county, and ending with Gillham, in Sevier county, and what do we find the people paying for pack ing house meat and lard? Not less than Sl00.000 annually, or over S8, 1000 each month, and this enormous drainage of cash comes largely from the farmers, who should produce their own meat, No country or class of people can prosper and pay 5uSha tribute to the packing house and railroad corporations. Here in the town of Cove the people are paying $l5,000 each year for packing house products. and for the first three months of the present year the farmers of this community bought five car loads ot wire and fencing material, not 10 ience ul their own hogs, bb:s:ss bs:ss to protect their crops from the ravages of razor-back hogs that would not bring 30 cents each if put up al auction.
 The boosters of "New Cali fornia, " which embraces the terri tory between Cove and Gillham, are all pledged to favor the en- actment of law that will shut up the hogs, and, as their score. tary, l challenge any man in Polk county for a joint debate on the issue. T. P. Fulton.