The Harrison times., 1912-02-24
Farming Under Socialism.
(By a Farmer.)
Editor Times:

thinks that II would prove dlsas-
trous to the farming interest, and
tend to destroy the home, especially
the farmers home.
For the bcneht of X, X, x, and
Others like him, allow me to ac-
quaint him with some fundamental
principles and also draw a picture of
farm life and the farm home under
Socialism.
Socialists believe in the public col
lective ownership and democratic
management Of land and all the
means of production and distribu-
tion, and in substituting cooper
alton for competition in every line Of
human endeavor. Its motto is: "To
everyone according to his deeds"
Under Socialism the price of any
article will be the time in human
labor required to produce it, nothing
allowed for invested capital, as all
capital belongs to the public. AS it
requires but 8 minutes and "a Sec
onds to produce bushel of wheat;
sewing machine, "a hours; one
dozen Derby hats, IA hours; farm
wagon, 40 hours, etc.
Under Socialism each producer
would receive labor checks for his
time if he worked at useful labor,
and would receive through this
means his full social product This
system would prevent the exploit
alton of rent interest by knocking
out rent interest and profit which
the producer now has to pay to a
non-producing class,
OF course no one can tell lust
how everything will be managed
under the cooperative system, for
we have no means Of knowing how
the ajority may vote, but one who
is ycrsed in the principles Of cooper
alton can come nearer to il than one
who has not made it a study; and
as Brother X Y X, has drawn
picture of farm life under Socialism,
! will also take the liberty TO draw
a picture;
Under Socialism there will be no
premium on corner lots, and it will
make no difference where one builds
his residence so it i on the public
domain, but it is reasonable to sup
pose that farmers will group their
residences into villages, as by so
doing they could have the adyant-
age Of many social convcnienccs
they cannot now enjoy in their scat.
tered condition, Material for build,
ing residences would be furnished at
its labor cost, and each co.operator
could build TO suit his own taste,
and the building and lot would be
his for occupancy and use as long as
he lived and chose to occupy it; and
if he wished to change his location it
could be sold or exchanged by
means Of the labor check system.
In this village the farmers could
have their cooperative light plant,
water works, public bakery, public
library and reading rooms, and also
a steam laundry, where a few men
in a few hours could do the washing
for the entire village and abolish
those relies Of barbarism, the wash
tub and the wash board
The public store, the public school
and many other things would be at
their doors They could even attend
the thcotcr if they wished, This vi.
lage would be located near the cen.
ter Of a large tract Of fertile land,
and from this center these farmers
could work thousands Of acres of
land, using the steam traction en-.
ElilNi INN ~ N'NlN llNl lltlNt W sup
on account Of line fences J, and break,
harrow and seed 10 to 100 acres per
day They could use all kinds Of
labor saving machinery that cannot
be owned by each individual farmer
today, and by these saving methods
Of production would cheaper the
cost Of living and have ample time
for recreation, travel or to improve
the mind and heart,
After Socialists are voted into
power, ifa person peters 20 do his
own farming, no one will object so
long as he occupies no more land
than he can Individually cultivate,
and indeed he would find il hard to
rent out his surplus land, for no one
having thimbleiul Of gray matter
in his Uranium would pay rent if he
could get employment on govern
mcnt land and get the full product,
He could not hire n hand, for what
fool would work for him and give
him a proht on his labor if he could
get employment in government in
A. 4