Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-09-05

Us dre DOunO UP WIN the Wehdo Va
the man who tills the soil 1t was the
Spokane Chamber Of Commerce which
published the Country Life Commits
sions report when Congress refuse u
to 10 so; and the Illinois Bankers
association, under the lead OF tho
president Mr.. r. F. Harris. Is now
urging on Congress the need OF en-
acting a law which will extend 10
the north and west the benefit OF the
field dem onstration plan. This plan u
to send qualified demonstrators right
to the farmer on his farm to work II
with him and show hrm right there
on the average farm how to better
results. In the South there nave been
| nearly seven hundred such demon
strators at work. and In seven years
| the results have been literally mar
velous. It Is an ominous and serious
thing that here in the United states
| the average yield per acre Of our two
greatest cereals. corn and wheat, is
| less than II was forty years ago. In
other words, we permit an altogether
improper percentage Of what may
be called dormant unemployed soil
fertility on our farms--any banker
who in his business permitted so large
a percentage Of It to consist of dormant
unearning cash reserve would certainly
20 to the wall. Our wheat crop In this
country. for instance averages less than
fourteen bushels an acre, whereas our
best farmers here. and the average farmer
in many countries Of Europe-on land that
has been farmed for a thousand years.
will average from twenty-six to forty
Dtlehels. Now every farmer knows that
an eighty-bushel corn crop will make
more net profit in one year than fifty
bushel average In four years Well. one
bushel per acre increase on all improved
agricultural land in the United States
would mean that there would be 1880
extra trains of nifty cars each needed TO
transport it. Mind you, this increase
could be obtained while at the same time
increasing the permanent value of the
land as the experience of Germany,
France and Denmark has shown. This
experience has also shown that CO.
operative banking. marketing and pur-
chasing organizations in the country can
be developed to a marvellous degree. to
the profit of the producers Certain of our
States. 4 am happy to say. have already
begun to prove experimentaly what can
marketing of farm products. as we'll az
in fire insurance, telephone and ever
banking OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES organiza-
tons being cooperative. with service
rather than profit as the prime object
While the cost of living has risen
all over the world. it has risen more
rapidly here in America than almost
anywhere else. and the prime cause
holt in no fail IN
do what should be done for and by the
people who live on the soil If we
choose am sure that We can so handle
the problem that the farmer Will have
more profits on the very products that
cost the consumer less money. We can
not employ all European methods here
but we can learn by them. so as to
do away with waste and inefficiency In
our methods, SO as TO get more ont OF
the soil. to conserve the value of the
soil, and to secure better orsaniza-
ton among farmers alike in selling their
products and in purchasing their require
ments We do no. promise the impos-
sble. we do not promise the millenium
but We do promise intelligent and genu-
the work to accomplish what can be ac-
complished. and neither of the old
parties 70 much as understands the need
of sucn work. Vermont is one OF these
States to which. because OF our attitude
in this matter. We should be peculiarly
able to appeal.
; PRAISE FOR GOVERNOR JOHNSON
Every party should be judged by the
character aud spirit of its representatives
who tane the lead III actual party man
aSemont. by the character of It's plat.
form. ard by the way in which, taken
as a whole, its deeds and words make
good its professions. Now | wish to ask
Your very careful consideration to the
record OF the man whom We progress.
siVes have put up for vice. president
oIernor Hiram Johnson OF California
1t happens that this year OF the six
party nominees for president or vice.
presidents. four are or have been COVER
nors Of their respective States. Mr. VIII
son is governor Of New Jersey. Mr.. Mar
shall OF Indiana. ! was governor of New
York. and MI. Johnson is governor OF Cal.
ifornia. For generation California
has been controlled In merciless IN
shion as few other states have been
controlled by the representatives Of
alliance with them. When Mr.. John
son took office as governor he had
before aim a herculean task If he was
to make good the promise Of the pro
gressives Well. he accomplished the
task. and he absolutely made good the
, promises. Under his leadership Cal
ifornia has established system OF
direct primaries. including presiden-
tal primaries; 1t has adopted the sys
TEN of electing Unitel States sena
. tors by popular vote; it has applied
, the initiative. the referen 1um and the
recall in thorough going fashion; i,
has provided for the partisan
election of judges: it has provided for
the shortening of the ballot; il hag
provided for county and city home
rule; it has provided for the revision
Of criminal procedure; 1t has taken
the first steps in securing the proper
method OF treatment for first offend
ers against the law; 1t has establish
E ed a conservation commission with
: ample Jurisdiction; 1t has given full
, power for the regulation of all pub
lie utilities; it has passed a first-class
employers liability act; 1t has secured
the adoption of woman suffrage; II
: has regulated the wording hours
of women and minors; It has abolished
race track gambling; II has passed q
full crew bill and pay check bill
prohibiting the payment of wages In non
negotiable form. No other governor oi
any State since the close OF the Civi
War has, during his term as governor