Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1910-02-03
ARCHBISHOP IRELAND
IRELAND ON LIVE
SUBJECT SAYS SALVATION
OF AMERICA TO COME
FROM THE FARM

FROM THE FARM
st. Paul, MINI Jan, 31st.-De-
claring that the social and moral
salvation Of America rests with the
farmer, Archbishop John Ireland, the
noted Roman Catholic prelate, sides
with James j. Hill, and in declaring
that he is not over-sorry for the con-
ditions that have brought about the
meat boycott, he joins the ranks of
those who believe with James J.
Hill that high living is largely re-
sponsible for high prices. In an au-
thorized statement Archbishop Ire
land says:
'Of course, I, like SO many others,
have had to pay some attention to-
the economic problems now agitating
the community-the high price of
living and the consequent boycott
instituted against the use Of meat.
Good will come from the discussion
much good, in my opinion, though
very likely not in the direction that
many expect. ~ "a
"That the price of meat as the re-
suit of the agitation and boycott,
will for some time fuctuate, today
downward, tomorrow upward, we
may readily admit. But that meat
will fall back permanently to the
low prices of former years, am not
disposed to believe. My reasons for
this assertion seem to be very plain
and convincing. The chief cause Of
this rise in price lies with the pro-
ducer-the farmer-and as my SYM
pathy goes out to the farmer very
warmly, am not over sorry for the
conditions we are witnessing.
Heretofore cattle were raised by
the millions over vast and unoccu-
pied ranges of prairies, but the day
of these ranges has passed. Cattle
must now be raised on the small
farm, seven. or eight head by each
farmer. The farmer formerly was
more easily satisfied with the results
of his toil-too easily in my opinion,
as he did not receive his due reward.
Because Of this comparatively unre-
munerative task, the cry was. more
or less, away from the land. Today
the farmer is more enlightened on
the general economic conditions of
the country, and he demands his
own. Raising cattle is no easy labor.
They have to be housed in winter;
food has to be laid up in the autumn,
and at least three years must elapse
before a steer can be turned into
the market. A much smaller sum
than what he now receives lor his
product would not be sufficient pay
ment for his patience and labor.
''The salvation of America. social
and moral, political and economic. is
the farm. Where agriculture is not
priced, is neglected, the nation must
decay. The efforts of philantroph-
lists and well wishers of their fellow
men, all tend toward encouraging
agriculture. The population of A
merica has been in every decade in
creasing by leaps and bounds. There
/ has been no proportionate increase
1 In the number of farmers. Hun
dreds of thousands, seeking in vain
employment in cities; hundreds of
thousands eking out there bare sub
stance to their own great detriment,
and to the yet greater detriment of
their families should be out upon the
land where comfort and peace awaits
them. But that all this comes to
happen we must not begrudge the.
farmer his due reward for his work.
That meat is becoming dearer in
America need not c;nuse surprise. In
!; countries of Europe England, Italy,
Germany and France, meat is much
dearer today than it is in America
despite the high prices we are COM
planning Of. Up to recently in those
countries meat was twice as dear as
= it was on this side Of the Atlantic.
IN my travels through these countries
I would startle the people by telling
them Of th price Of meat tn5America,s
while they would relate to me the
prices they were compelled to pay.
They would be all the more aston
zished at those prices IN this country
when they would recall the reward
81 labor in America and the labor
among themselves. s3.s5 35
Does the change going on
with regard to the price
Of meat betoken an economic
disaster? I am not disposed to make
an assertion Of the kind. We eat