Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-06-18
Friday, June IS, 1909.
FERTILE ACRES MoNoPoLIzED

FERTILE ACRES MONOPOLIZED.
The editor of a New York news
paper recently received a letter call
ing his attention to the fact that we
have seven hundred million acres of
Bwampy. marshy and arid lands in
North America which could be re-
claimed and made to yield immense
crops.
But" said the editor, what is
the use of troubling ourselves about
mis- land, wnen we do not seem to
know what to do with what We al
ready have in fertile acres?"
Not know what to do with our
fertile acres? Certainly we do We
Speculate in them. We monopolize
Them. We let people who never
plow a furrow or pitch a sheaf buy
Them up so as to get rich from the
unearned values that come to the
lands from the presence Of those
Eno do pitch sheaves and pillow
burrows.
The learned editor-who may
have been wiser than he wrote
goes on TO point out the fact that
here are more than eighteen billion
acres OF fertile land in the world,
zach acre Of which will more than
support one person. MY grand
lather." says he. supported himself
md my grandmother and brought up
night children from the product of
one acre. In short-summered and
long-wintered Sweden"
This was going some for grandpa
but assuming the fact to be as
stated. assuming that the land of
this round old world of ours could
easily support ten times as many
people as it now feeds, are we
handing our share of it in the man
ner to get the most out of it?
Grandpa in Sweden supported ten
people on an acre-but he had the
acre. This is a rather important
matter. And he had the life history
that made him capable of using the
acre to its best advantage. Another
very important matter.
co down on the east side of New
York. Mr.. Editor. and see the
swarming children filling the streets
so full that vehicles can scarcely
pass through: the greatest sight in
New York is the children of the con-
gested east side. These people would
BE vastly better on using those acres
OF which you speak. They would
then breathe sweet country air, and
eat sweet country food, and see
sweet country sights. and feel thei:
nerves let down from the fearful
city strain.
But If you put them out on those
half-used acres they would starve.
They are the most industrious people
on earth. but they would starve on
farms. Ihey don't know how to
support one per acre. They would
rebel rather than stay on farms.
When you change the habits of mind
OF a people. be careful that you
change them right; for it's a mighty
hard task to change them back.
And again-if they all wanted
acres to use, they couldn't get them.
We partly use our lands; but we
prefer TO use their values rather
than their acres. Did you ever hear
OF the Vacant Lot Culture associa-
tions OF Philadelphia, New York.
Detroit, London, and other cities
They are organizations for getting
the poor OF the cities the privilege
OF growing gardens on vacant lots
There are acres ana acres vacant
near New York-acres enough with
IN reach OF an hours ride to give one
70 each person in the city-figure II
up-but the acres are monopolized.
They are worth more under our
present laws to speculate with than
TO cultivate
The point is here. A very small
plot OF land will support a family
skilled in its use, if they do not have
70 divide with the landlord. They
must have all they produce. That
Il the fact which makes these IN
used acres useless to the landless
poor. Perhaps IL we would adopt
Henry Georges plan of taxation. it
would solve the problem in some
future age One thing is sure;
We are not solving it.