The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1909-07-02


Stetson, Spencer Trask, p. r. A.Seiig-
man, George T. Powell, Booker n
Washington, Mrs. Frederick Nathan
and Mrs Samuel untermyer.
Back to the land" is the platform
of the league, which believes that
When the people realize that with
250 days work In q year two acres
VIII support an ordinary family
and produce enough readily market
able surplus to provide money for
clothing and to keep the roof over
their heads in good repair.
When they find that two acres OF
suitable land can be purchased very
near to civilization" for from $50 to
5000;
When they find that house can
be built on these two acres more
healthful TO live in, far more com
Portable, with pleasant surroundings
and fewer nuisances than In the large
cities, and that all this can be done
for few hundred dollars. or far less
than they now pay for rent In a com
paratively few years
Then there will be fewer men and
women walking the streets with the
burrows Of anxiety worn into their
faces. fewer IN the ranks OF the I'M
employed: the hospitals, orphans
homes. penitentiaries, fails. reform
atories and lunaic hsyiums win be
less numerous; we shall be able TO
cope with ovcrcrowdlng In the trades
and professions, and lie will be bet
ter, more satisfactory and more
happy for us all.
In speaking of che conditions in
New YORK. Mr. Hall said recently:
There are within easy distance OF
New York thousands OF acres OF good
land lying absolutely idle, enough 10
support as many thousands OF COM
Portable homes, while here in the city
are thousands Of able-bodled men and
women constantly on the verge Of
starvation.
There are probably 10000 families
today In this city alone who are en-
Gagged in. keeping boarding houses.
candy atores--cven beer saloons and
dires--wbo are not making ends
meet There Is, perhaps, another co.
600 who have saved up little for n
rainy day--aIid the rain Is pouring on
them now--sand they use up their III.
tie savings and ether resources ex =
pectlng better tiinea.
Ing better times
Those people ought TO 40 to the
land. " doesn't need any tricks of the
trade, but simply TO apply methods
that have made others successful +"
Even IN dollars and cents the effect
OF these movements. should they prove
as successful aa IL hoped, could
scarcely be calculated. The ellmina-
ton Of waste ia the national economy
would. OF itself. be sufficient 20 create
4 business boom
For these unemployed unf0rtunatea
are taxes upon the entire purchasing
population. They owe the butcher,
tho baker. tho candleatlck maker.
They must get food and clothing the
best they can. SO they buy on credit
and exc out that ever-leaeeeing credit
with what ANAL sums they are able
70 earn BY picking up odd Jobs from
day TO day. The burden becomes ever
heavier, and finally gets too great for
them 10 carry.
Thus accumulate those uucolleet.
ible accounts that are the hane OF tho
butcher. the baker and the candle
stick maker Small merchants can.
not AFFORD 10 lose big accounts 90
these small merchants are forced 10
charge higher pricea 10 their paying
patrons to protec, Themselves from
loss
Often 5Nesc small merchants be-
come 10 G.eply involved that they are
slow In meeting their own obligations.
Then the big Arms hnd collections
dull, They 40 slow; they order few.
or materials. they cut down their
own working forces and add To the
unemployed. Business stagnatea.
On the other hand, when labor IL
In demand lis price goes up. Every
one has money 10 spend Collections
are good and manufacturers and lob
bcfs get more orders than they can
fill. Business booma.
Yet there Ia always that proportion
OF debt that IL never paid The la
borer who has lived from hand 10
mouth for q year or more finds him,
self facing debss that 10 him are ire
mendous. He can pay for what he
gets, and does 80 but the margin
that he can't pay goes on down the
line AZ profit and loss. That IL what
the great body OF the nation pays for
allowing such conditions to exist.
Behind the new National Labor Ex-
change. az before stated, are men who
appreciate these conditions. Capital
lists, bankers. brokers. practical men
Of affairs. they see the vast adyant.
ages Of turning liabilities into assets,
borrowers into spenders. Should
they succeed not they alone viii
profit. Every wage-earner IN the
land, however humble, will be benefit
ed And, whatever the motives OF
these men, few will deny that they
are tackling the biggest problem OF
the day.