The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1913-03-28
PREVAILING CONDITIONS
THROUGHOUT OUR FAIR
LAND.

Somebody says there Is something
wrong What rs &c? For instance,
cite you to the state OF Washington
I'm reference to the luxuriant and al
most fabulous productivity Of its soil
Almost everything necessary for the
maintenance and comfort of life are
abundantly produced within its Dor
ders. | wish to call attention to the
prolific. and over abundant produc-
ton of fruit of all kinds grown in the
beautiful Yakima valley. We may as
well sum it up before we set the fig
ures down, by saying, what is the use
of producing this over abundant sup
ply? It surely means a waste of ener-
gy and forcing many of the soil til
lers more deeply in debt There were
many fruit growers in this valley last
year who did not even attempt to pick
and market the fine crops of fruit
they had. | saw last fall, / dare say,
hundreds of acres of orchards in the
Yakima valley, bending trees, heavily
laden with thousands of tons of as
fine apples as ever grew, and few,
perhaps, would be picked and placed
away in storage for the use of a fam
lily during the winter months, and the
balance of the crop would remain I'M
touched, except for the bands of hogs
that were turned loose in these or
chards to eat what they could as they
fell from the trees, and what the hogs
could not eat were left on the ground
to rot.
Talk about your high priced valu-
able fruit lands. What for? 1t is a
farce and a humbug. l learn from re-
liable sources that the same conditions
prevail in all the states from, and in
Guiding Washington to New Mexico.
Now, why should such conditions ex-
list in a bountiful, productive country
like this? Oh, l know Over produc-
ton. Yes, that's it. 1t appears to be
recognized fact there is only one
recognized class in this United States
that are really considered worthy of
recognition when two things are up
for consideration. namely" politics
and production. That class here re-
ferred too, are commonly termed the
capitalist class, who take personal in
terest to see they are well provided
for in both. We are going to admit
there has been an over production
this far; that there was more fruit
year than the recognized (capitalist)
class could consume. The result was
an over production. Suffer little
children to come unto me-" 1t makes
my heart bleed in sympathy, when I
learn of the hundreds of thousands
of the young generation throughout
our fair land, who never get chance
to bite juicy apple, but in their
stead, the hogs are given to consume
their fill of this over production and
the balance consumed by decay. 1t ap-
pears to me that this nation of intel
ligent people would take advantage of
the opportunity that lays before them,
and effect some plans whereby these
starving and suffering little children
might have chance, even with the
hogs and rot, to help consume this
over production of red apples.
With political action and democrat
ic management, the cooperative COM
monwealth of the means of production
will certainly improve our conditions
of society up to a higher standard of
living. Some say, educate the masses
to the clear understanding of this fact,
and the day for better conditions is
won. But, bear this in mind; Edu-
cation is thing that should not be
used for selfish interests, but should
be applied to future generations.
What | have said here of the fruit
production implies as well, to other
agriculture products. At the present
time, there are thousands of tons of
first-class potatoes in various forms
of storage within the Yakima valley.
Farmers have told me they would be
glad to get six dollars a ton for them.
When a farmer can get a chance to
sell load of hay, he can get as much
as 81, or perhaps as much as $3.50
F. o. B. cars, which means about the
actual cost of production. Aside
from these insignificant prices, the
high cost he pays for irrigation water,
maintenance fees, high rates of us
ury, (called INTEREST," on his mOrtga-
ges, and last, he has to pay his con-
fiscating taxes, or follow the route of
one of our brother farmers who took
his departure from here a few days
ago. He came here about two years
ago, and along with his family and eff
fects he brought about three thous-
and dollars cash; bought 20 acres Of
high priced land, made a first pay
ment, used the balance in making i'm
provements, and like many others
1 1.