The Topeka state journal., 1911-08-12
ARE EXAGGERATED
Oakley Graphic Declares Situa.
tiOn Not So Bad.
Northwest Counties Can Get
Along Without Help.
CAN GET SEED WHEAT
All the Old Settlers Have
Means.
Only the Newcomers That Will
Suffer.
CAN GET SEED WHEAT

Oakley Kan. Aug. l-.-4he seeU
wheat suffering in western Kansas
counties have been grossly exagger-
eted bv numerous eastern publications
ard in states where conditions as they
really exist here are not understood
This years crop failure has naturally
affected every county in the short grass
district. but real calamity faces only
the bomesteaders who came into the
territory in the last year and settled
on isolated tracts
OH7ciat reports from the western
Kansas wheat belt showed that this
was an off crop year in the wheat pro-
drcine districts Naturally, there
should be a shortage OF seed wheat.
Bur In the western counties are thou
sands Of substantial farmers who will
no+ suffer from the 1911 crop failure.
If is the man whose financial resources
arr limited and who depends on each
Years crop for living, VINO bears tne
burden. These men, though, are III the
minority in the wheat Selt ana theIr
tnabilitv to withstand the seasons re-
,-erses do not represent the real con-
ditions in any well established com
munity. -
Governor Stubbs studied the situa-
tion carefully when the first clamor
made for a special StcSAOAl u AAtI
legislature to take action in aiding the
western Kansas farmers. 1t is prob
ah1e that Governor Stubs knows the
conditions in the northw est territory
better than any man who does not llNe
in the district. He sent zoo letters TO
nersons in the district and each per-
eor to whom he wrote was in close
touch with conditions in his commun-
itv. When these replies reached the
state house in Topeka they told the
story accurately. Most of the letters
were answered. Sentiment was even
lv divided as to the need of legislative
action The need OF eaeh localty Is
said to have been given in detail
This week the seed wheat condition
was discussed by J. r. Young in his
oakley Graphic. one % the in1luen-
tial publications in the northwest sec
tion of the state. Yourg has talked
with the producers in his district and
the following article tells conditions
just as he saw them:
Reports of crop conditions in west
ern Kansas published in the eastern
dailies have been absolutely unfair and
unreliable. These reports have been
written and colored by reporters who
know how TO make good article for
their papers but know absolutely moth
ling about conditions in western Kan
oakley is located sduarely in the
corner of the four counties of Logan,
Thomas. Cove and Sheridan, said in
the reports to be the counties affected
most by the inability to obtain wheat
and it is desired that a true interpre-
tatfon of conditions be given to the
public through the press instead of the
class of advertising that has been
handed out.
western Kansas has suffered this
wear from a drouth which has been
Widespread over the United States.
Western Kansas is no worse off than
other countries. The old timers in
this country are all capable of hand
ling their own seed wheat proposition
end resent the inference that they are
crying for assistance.
Many new settlers came into west
ern Kansas during the past year and
homesteaded on isolated tracts of land
depending upon this years crop to put
them out of debt. This is the class
of people that are asking for assist
ance, but the rank and file of farmers
who are. according to the dispatches
in the dailies, asking for aid, are able
TO buy and sell 90 per cent of the fell
lows who read the calamity articles.
"A bunch of representatives of west
ern Kansas counties who meant to be
kind to the homesteaders who were
unable to get wheat. have started
something. a libel on western Kansas,
that it will take some time to efface.
and the press should be as courteous
in printing the true conditions as it
has been industrious in printing the
garbled utterances of reporters.
'The mere matter of the railroads
bringing wheat into western Kansas.
freight free. is not a begging PROPOSE
tion and the railroads don't look at it
that way 1t is a business proposition
for the railroad companies to get the
vast untitled acreage of western KAN
sas into wheat. Unless these home
steaders raise wheat they will not have
any for the railroads to haul. Both
the railroads and homesteaders are
working for their own interests
Western Kansas doesn't need any
state aid and doesn't want it. All it
wants is a fair Interpretation of con-
ditions by the press