The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-02-22
WANTS TO train
BOYS FOR FARM
Ohio Food PrCboTS Listen TO
New Yorker.
HAS THEORY ON HIGH PRICES

ShS""h Gays oupP'J S'o't "hu ''"'o'
portatlon System Out of Date-Mat.
thews Of Cleveland introduces Bill
to Protect Jury Box From Political
Hangers s-on-Gebhart Would Make
II Risky Business to Sign Petition
For Parole Of Convicts.
Columbus, o., Feb. 19.-John A.
Stewart OF New York, manufacturer
and trustee of the state agricultural
school at Morrisville, In his testimony
before the state food probe commit
tee gave as the general eXplana
tion Of present high prices the fact
that the people are not producing
foods fast enough. According to -
statement, % years ago the country
east of the Alleghenies produced prac'
tlcally all hat it consumed Now
did not begin to do so. He had made
an investigation of conditions in 80
old home in Madison county, New
York. and the facts were startling
From 1880 the assessed value in orc
township I'd fallen from $714,000
$4,000 In 905.
Boys Leave Farm.
OF rs boys in his class at school
not one was living In his native place
All ha6 gc"e to the cities. He gave
facts showing that of those who still
remained the farms in his ola
county. all were quite old. One old
man with fairly good farm had five
boys. but ~ had gone to the cities
leaving him to try to run the farm
alone at 70 years.
Another trouble was in regard to
our worn-c1t system Of food distribu.
tlon. The storage business, in com.
bination wi the railroads, could and
did force up the prices. The trouh''
with food prices began when the city
was reached. We produce so little
comparatiV ely easy to corner the foe |
market. He would advise municipal
ownership of food transportation and
distribution, but held that municipali.
ties must for their own protection reg
ulate these things.
Should Explain Opportunities.
The federal immigration bureau
ought to explain to immigrants the
opportunities that are open to them
In agriculture In the older states,
Most foreign farmers come here be.
lieving that there Is no better oppor.
tunity In farming here than there Is
In Europe.
The agricultural school of which he
Is trustee Is secondary school
financed by the state. The idea Is to
teach boys practical farming. 1t was
the first of the kind In the United
States. Agricultural colleges taught
too much of the science OF farming
and not farming. The boys IN this
school are to be taught that farming
Is business, not a mere way of earn
Ing livelihood.
A bill to correct the evils OF the
Ohio jury system was introduced In
the senate by Senator Matthews OF
Cleveland. 1t provides for the ap
pointment OF jury commissioner by
the common pleas court. The board
OF elections is required to furnish to
the commissioner the names OF all the
qualified electors of the county and
he must summon before him all pros
pective Jurors and examine them as
TO their qualifications. The names oi
those who qualify are placed In the
jury VIII eel just as at present. when
they are drawn out by the clerk and
the sheriff, but Matthew'S bin pro
vides that this must be done In open
court In the presence OF four officers
OF the court, members OF the bar and
Representatives of the press. "If this
bill becomes law we can get some
good jurors In the cities where We
are now burdened with the political
hangers.on," said Matthews.
Gebhart on Paroles.
Representative Gebhart has anoth
er important measure which he will
offer. II Is to put n stop to the inds
criminate signlng of petitions to eel
prisoners out OF the penitentlary or
parole. IL PROVIDES tnat such peu
tlons shall only be signed by respon
sible persons, and that II the person
released from the penitentiary does
violence to any person or damages OF
steals property, the injured person
may recover damages from the peti
tioners. Experience shows that most
people can be induced to sign almost
any kind OF a petition, and the pur
poses OF the bill are to abate this
nuisance and prevent undeserving
criminals from being liberated from
the penitentiary,