The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-02

have been sacrificed through Ignorance of health
laws, and the millions more that have been lost
oy these ignorant people becoming a prey to pat
ent medicine fakirs and quacks of all kinds-this
loss mas constituted one of the most serious drains
upon our national strength If Department of
Health did nothing else but issue a series of
Health Bulletins similar to the Farmers Bulletins
ISSUED by the Department of Agriculture, the saw
ing in human life and strength and efficiency from
this one source would alone be incalculable.
CD Conservation of National Resources,-The
farmers OF America, therefore, stand for the con-
servation Of health as one of our resources Int
they stand for the conservation of our material
resources as well. The waste Of our public lands
forests, water powers, and mineral resources con-
sttutes nothing more less than a national dis
grace, and the Congressman who does not support
measures In keeping with our awakened intelli-
gence must be prepared to defend his inactivity
before an alert and inquisitive constituency.
(6) More Earnest Efforts in Behalf of Peace
The farmers are tired, too of the steady increase
In taxes for war purposes, and they wish to know
If there is any real justification for such an enor-
nous expenditure as is suggested in the following
extract from the Century Magazine for April:
The increase in the appropriations for the
army during the last eight years. including
the year 1910, about $4S3 ,OOO, 900 over
the appropriations for the eight years prior
to the Spanish-American War, or about
$4,000, 900 more than is necessary to build
the Panama Canal. while the increase in the
appropriation for the navy during the same
years was about $500, 000, 900 in round num-
bers, or more than the total expenditures Of
our Government for all purposes in any one
year OF our history prior to 1898, except dur
ing the Civil War"
Our agricultural classes would not have the
nation without defense. but they believe that the
truest defense and the one most in harmony with
the spirit OF our times is to come through really
determined and whole-hearted efforts to encour-
age international arbitration and disarmament.
IT Is very easy, OF course, to 60 ahead and vote
heavier appropriations year after year for army
and navy because the people have borne this
great burden from time immemorial but It is the
task OF constructive craftsmanship to set about
the establishment OF genuine Supreme Court
OF Nations FOR the settlement OF international diff
ferences. II civilization centuries ago progressed
SO FAR that courts established so that indi-
viduals might settle disputes without violence and
fighting, Is 1t not high time for civilized nations
to settle their differences in the same fashion? II
the people would only get their governments to
| set about finding way for establishing such
court and II our Government and one or two 9TH
ers In setting about such policy should use one
tenth the determination and energy with which
they set about the equipment of warships, such
reform would be brought about in the lifetime
OF men now living.
Cd Don't Cripple the Interstate Commerce
lCommission.-The farmers Of the South, like the
farmers OF the West. are also anxious that the
Interstate Commerce Commission shall not be
crippled and manned. They have not made up
their minds to the wisdom Of the proposed
Court OF Commerce, but they have made up their
minds that II any such court is created, the In
terstate Commerce Commission should defend its
own decisions in that court and the attorney who
represented the people in before the Inter-
state Commerce Commission should also appear
before the Court of Commerce.
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