The copper era and Morenci leader., 1912-10-04
MORE HOMES AND LESS
 SHIPS
Declared J. B. Case Before the National Irrigation
 Congress

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Oct L.
 We need less battleships and nor
 money spent to develop homes fo
 the American people" declared J. B
 Case of Abilene, Kan, before tn
 National Irrigation Congress, today
 This nation needs homes more thai it needs fighting floating forts' MT
 Case is vice president of the Trans
 Mississippi Commercial Congress. H.
 said:
 The national congress should
 spend part of the money it is put
 ting into battleships and make il
 possible for our farmers to live or irrigated farms as well as they can in King Georges dominion.
 ''The cold fact is, that no amount of patriotism or sentiment can regu late the movement of population
 Men go where they think they can improve their condition, regardless of what orators ar newspapers or statesmen may say. The renter class moves on where land is cheap. The shrewd business like farmer figures that he can obtain more acres and make more money. The farmer at fifty or sixty rents or sells his farm and moves to town. He thinks it is to his advantage, but it nearly al- ways reduces his income and in- creases his expenses. It is one of the mistakes of farmers life when he lets go of productive farm and thinks he adds te his comfort by living in townl
 The farmer and stockman pos sess the best business occupation in crop production in history, with high prices, with the end of the pioneec period and the disappearance of free land, the chance for the farmers sons becomes greater each year. But it is evident that a smaller number though wise men tell them that the profits of the farm are greater than ever before. The relative decline in agricultural population is not neces- sarily matter to be deplored. It is so only in case it means a less people leaving the farms must go, or if the result is a lessened supply of agricultural products.
 ''The government has done much for irrigation but only trifle con- pared with it's assistance in other
 
 men of the West should unite to impress on their Congressmen and Senators the necessity of greater ac- tivity in developing the semi-arid lands and making homes for the teeming millions at our doors. Every every foot of tillable land eventually brought under the blow. and the government should get be- hind the proposition in dead earnest, not only for the good of the people here in the West, but for the benefit of the whole nation.
 When the West prospers the na- ton prospers. It should do this at | any cost-and do it now. Not less than two members of the Presidents cabinet should be Western men, fam liar with every condition of Western | land and Western need. This should be a government of all the nation, not a government of the East with the West forever begging for it's share of the benefits. This, I believe, will come, for the West is asserting it's strength. The farmer is to have lis innings. He has an Armageddon of his own and he proposes to bat .le for his rights.
 With a production exceeding all previous records, with a growing in- ,elligence that teaches how to ob- ain the most from his land, with a financial position before unknown, with science taking the place of suesswork, with home consumption approaching the measure of produc- ion, with a steadily increasing price eveI for everything he raises, with new ideas, new processes, new op- 3ortunities, the next ten years prom ses a reward to the farmer greater han the world has ever seen. Ths coming decade will be the farmers