The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-07-01

ties await them AS a result, rs per
cent of them drift to the congested
districts in the east to become bar
nacles upon society.
Energies Wrongly Directed.
Many OF our emigrants were agri-
cultural workers in their own native
land and would be In this country If
their energies were properly directed,
but they are found to submit to con-
ditions in the congested centers by rea-
son of. their lack of knowledge of the
| opportunities offered in the central
west. Could this stream be more justly
and equally distributed, they would not
only receive greater rewards for their
energy and labor, but would aid ma
terially in the development of our CEN
trail west. The wages received by the
immigrant population in the factories
in the east have not improved their So
cial conditions as they expected and in
some cases they find themselves con-
fronted with more serious obstacles in
the support of their families than were
found in their native land. Could we
expect these unfortunates to develop
| into high type Of American citizen
ship?
| IF these agricultural workers were
landed in the central west, using their
energies and ability to develop the
farm lands, the country as a whole, in
my judgment, would receive a more
wholesome growth. If this centraliza-
ton Is to be stopped, 1t must be done by
united action of the people in these
states by exploiting the opportunities
offered to these toiling millions On the
farm lands Of our north central states
and should be done under supervision
of the states so that the conditions and
opportunities be not exaggerated. g..
There is a greater reason why these
foreigners should be distributed more
widely and evenly. These people are
huddled In congested regions where
they fail to mix with, the American
! people, thus they remain aliens; in
fact, for generation after generation.
If they were more widely distributed
| they would Americanize more rapidly
and become better citizens. To this
Land of ours have come people from
every nation who have blended to-
gether and out of this heterogeneous
/ people we are building up new race
of men with greater mental and phys
ical powers who in a short time will
be recognized as a new people purely
American soon to dominate the desti-
MES of the world. ... g..
Make Farm Life Attractive.
More attention in the future must
be paid to making farm life attractive
1t has been neglected in the past. No
employment today Is giving greater re-
turns for labor than that upon the
farm. The drudgery that has charac-
terized farm life in the past must be
! abandoned If we are going to change
the social conditions. We have paid
too much attention to the commercial
, dollar and not enough to the home.
! Our farmsteads can and should be
I beautified with shrubbery, orchards and
flower gardens, and l see no reason why
every farm In the middle west should
not be supplied with an adequate
water system Of its own, thus render
ing comfort and happiness to the tiller
of the soil. But the question of iso-
lation and removal from society has
! had large influence which can be
! easily remedied. see no reason why
/ AoeAAiA lAOILlSS+ IN the NlluQlG west SnOul0
not be constructed in communities in
stead of isolated. which. with the rural
I free delivery, telephone, automobiles,
ETC., would make a most ideal theatre
for the working out of human destiny.
Much Vacant Land.
~ Adam Bede of our state says:
The farmers in South Dakota have
to build gymnasiums to keep their
hired men in exercise" The Dakotas
and Minnesota have another problem
to work out. They have large areas
| of vacant land which should be con-
verted into beautiful farms and coy
homes, but again We come in conflict
with the commercial dollar. The pop
ulation per square mile in South Dako-
ia in 1900 was So: Minnesota, 221;
Iowa, 40.2: Illinois, S6.1; Ohio, 1o2;
| Massachusetts, s48.9
Wealth and energy is now being
consumed to carry from and over these
great wealth producing states in the
Missouri and Mississippi valleys home
seekers to far distant lands; very
much in my judgment to the detri-