World's cresset. [volume] (JAH-ville [Colony], Fowler, Mo.) 1891-19??, 1910-07-21
Have We Homes to Destroy
BY.N. B. WILKINSON.

hands OF o few great corpora
iions, and private land owners.
And that cloud has spread oyor
our whole country with I'll il 4
dismal biacknes< and social
death, until to-day We have
awakened 70 the fact-the terrible
fact--that all this wonderful
country, therichest and grandest
in It's pasttime virginity the
world ever beheld, has drifted
into the ownership Of n few
men. We have reached a point
even now, when we artfnot a home
owning people but rather home
less tenantry people. But many
will DOUBT this statement, and
l. being "From Missouri" viii
show you
Henry M. Hyde, a great capt..
alistic promoter in an article
in The Technical World Maya.
zine for January, 1909 gives US
some startling figures from
which l select a few facts. He
tells US that UP to twelve years a
goCongrcss had given away pub
lie lands to railroads and other
corporations to the extent OF
266, 900, 900 nc res. An area far
In excess of the area of the
two great countries. OF France
and Germany which support
Il population as great IN our
population. In one donation to
the Northern Pacific Railroad Co.,
Congress gave away land to the
extent of New York. Massachu-
sctts, Connecticut, New Jersey,
Rhode Island and Delaware.
i And this gift contained two
times as much fertile lands as
the states named contained.
Land is by far the greatest Of
: all natural, resources without. its
use no one could live, And under
private control. and ownership,
only those who control, or own it,
= can live free lives. And, under q
= sane social condition, no one
should even be permitted tn own,
. control, more than he with his one
q family, without hired he'p'could
: cultivate to advantage. And this
e is Socialism and this is sanity.
g: King Leopold, who recently
! died-the man who was q noted
e butcher and robber, had 1873
: square miles Of lapd. An area
!; larger than the whole state of
r Vermont. and third larger than
r the areas Of Connecticut, Delaw.
!, are and Rhode Island. But as
+ large as his holdings are they
are small as compared to one OF
our land kings, Henry Miller, OF
r California whoowns22 500 square
I miles OF land, most Of IL the rich.
e est and best land in the country.
e And this single holding equals thu
le combined areas of Mass, Conn.
J, New Hampshire and Rhod,
e Island. Can you get that ides
y in your minds? This author vel
n says; One hears much of evils
d Of landlordism in ireland. Henry
II Miller. a single American lant
% owner, is lord over an area two
!. thirds as Jorge as the whole o
It the Emerald Isle,"
|e' And this author goes on I,
d show how. twelve years ago. whel
Y. the last census was made Of thes
9 matters. four-fifths Of all th,
* landof England the United State,
a. z6.000,000 acres; a territor,
b much larger than the state q
g, Indiana, and as much ~ fou,
he afths Of all the land Of England
ID This land, divided up into fort
I'd acre tracts, would have fnrnishe,
g. homes for $4,000 families, .
~ 2,24o.0oO people. Are thes
facts not startling And do the
id mot damn our preser
civilization
~ And the trend Of conditioni
- ias regards home owning
y IseinR from bad ~ NDrse Thsr
RI VIII bea smai!srnum bsrpt hell