The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1909-03-18

more intelligently measure the needs
OF the state. with the arrival OF that
condition, we believe, and would
heartily support the enactment, Of an
initiative and referendum measure.
The writer would place the respon-
sibility upon the Independent for the !
large number Of mortgages that are
on record in Ward county. For good
ness sake, haven't we been preaching
against going too much into debt
for the past seven years, right here In
Ward county? Nearly every week we
have called the attention of our farm
er readers to the Importance Of bet.
ter farming methods, and we believe
not without result. The writer seems
to think that a mortgage placed on
a farm is something for which the
mortgagor has received nothing in
return. AS a matter of fact, the
mortgages on record in Ward county
represent assets, in many cases worth
what was paid for them. 1t repre-
sents horses and machinery, for
which many farmer had not the mon
ey when he came to this county
few year ago. 1t represents the farm
dwelling, perhaps or the binder or
the drill or the pillow and maybe the
cows. Much of 1t represents that
money which was paid the govern
ment for the proving up on home
stead worth many times the size of
the mortgage. Seven years ago the
assessed valuation of Ward county
was but three million of dollars
but today that assessed valuation is
something more than seventeen mil
lion dollars. A few of the farmers
no doubt went too heavily into debt
and some lost their farms. Is this
the fault of the Independent? Is It
our fault because many farmers re-
fuse to raise. hogs, milk cows, keep
chickens and sell eggs? The farmers
who are doing this are making mon
ey invariably, but we can see nothing
but breakers ahead Of the farmers
who refuse to do these things, con-
filming their farming to the raising of
grain alone. The farmers who have
been following the right methods,
who have been economical and hard
working, are fast paying up those
mortgages to which the writer refers.
The horse was going to be driven
out of existence by the locomotive,
but instead thereof he multiplied ex-
ceedingly and increased in value, al
though his iron substitute was tear
ing all over the country in every
direction. Then he was to be reduced
to innocuous desuetude by the trolly
car, and after that by the automobile.
But the Department of Agriculture
reports that in eleven years the
number of horses in this country has
increased from under fourteen to
more than twenty millions, the ag-
gregate farm value of them has adj
vanced from less than half a billion
to very nearly two billions, and the av
erage value of the animal has ad-
vanced nearly three-fold, from $34-
rs in 1898 to 1864 in 1909. Perhaps
some of our timid manufacturers who
are in panic lest they should be
crushed if they were exposed to a
little competition may take encourag-
ment from the prosperity Of tn horse.
-Ex.
It is easy to make totals look big,
and the press has been catching its
breath and holding its sides, not
from laughter but with amazement
lover Secretary Wilson's eight bill
lion dollar valuation of American
farm products. a
The American farmers, after de-
Quoting interest on the investment,
farm expenses, the cost of living,
sums paid for hired help, ETC., di-
Il v4NCo IAAo 6uuA dAAOA6 IAC AAOAO SA4sSAA
seven million farmers Of the country,
and finds that each has less than any
other man in any calling would work
for. The farmer then closes with the
following sensible paragraph:
Collectively the American farmer
is a mighty factor in world finance
Singly he is overworked and ill
paid, Disseminated against in legis-
lation and not nearly so much in
need of commissions on social uplift
as of simple Justice.
With the defeat of the initiative
and referendum, the bank guaranty
law, the anti-pass bill, the bill to
abolish the insurance statement
graft, amendments to the primary
law and many other progressive
, measures, the legislator e adjourns
with yorv 1;++1o ucofu1 1opiclation tn