The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1913-10-09

to every 10; ir 1900 s, and in 1910 only
4 to 10 persons. In the decade meat
cattle decreased 100000 and swine
4, $3.50 900 and as the number decreas-
ed the value increased. Twelve Of the
older northern states show falling
off Of 100000 in the number Of cat
tie, with a corresponding decrease in
the number of sheep and swine The
decline Of the rural population means
less products of the farm which are
necessary for the feeding of animals
|age In cattle and the consequent high
prices of meat.
Crowd the City; Leave the Farm.
Our people flock to the cities where
they would rather stay and starve
than go to the country and work.
While the cities have thousands Of
strong men holding down the park
benches, the crops in the country per-
ish because there are no men willing
to work; these men would rather de-
pend on charity in the city than help
to solve the crying need Of our cities
the production Of more food stutfs.
Parents everywhere are selling their
farms and crowd the cities to be near
the saloons. dance halls. gambling
halls and the movies.
We Eat Less for More Cost; Drink
More for Less Cost.
In this connection 1t Is worthy of
note that some products Of the farm
have not ecreased--barley, raised
mainly for breweries and distilleries,
was grown on 3,2sS,OO0 more acres in
1910 than in 1900; this is greater by
SO, 100000 bushels and the valuations
by $5O,S26.O00 While our exports on
food stuffs and meats have declined,
the export on leaf tobacco increased
with the 10 years including 1912, TO-
600 900 pounds. With the lessening Of
the food supply, people resort to
drink and tobacco and we drink more
liquor and smoke more tobacco than
ever; while food stuffs have gone up
in an aeroplane, whiskey and tobacco
are kept within the reach of even the
poor, so that while times more Gig
arettes are used today than 10 years
ago, they cost about half what they
did then, and the glass of beer has
become a schooner So that while
we eat less because 1t costs more, we
drink more because 1t costs less and
makes us forget the high cost of liv
| ing.
The Government Could Help.
"Of the $7O0,OO0,0OO spent annually
Ito conduct this government, scarcely
II per cent Of our total appropriation
goes to aid our 100000 farmers, the
the 100000 persons more than 10
years old who work on those farms to
I feed, clothe, educate and support the
people of our cities.
Millions of dollars are expended
ANNUALLY for federal buildings to beau
i tify our cities and towns, add to the
comfort and conveniences of their in
habitants but nothing to construct
public highways, and little, indeed, t.
increase the comforts, promote the
conveniences and add to the profits OF
our farmers,
Some of the Reasons.
1--WE are behind all civilized nations
in public roads. The parcels post will
mean the extension of rural commerce
1.-The absence of the graded schools
from the rural districts contributes to
the depopulation of our farms.
Il would have the schoolhouse open
every night at civic and recreation
centers.
| THE social life Of the farm must be
improved. The curse Of country life
is it's isolation Bridget explained
her preference for living in the city OF,
cold charity to plenty in the country
on the ground that peoples is better
company than stumps.'
TT seems impossible to driv, the
poor from the cities, or coax them
with better pay to settle N the coun-
try--they stay, starve, sicken and
sink in the city.
! Surely the farmer today is better
off, fares better, lodges better, is more
independent and gets a better return
for his labor than the city toiler.'