Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1913-06-15
DIFFICULTIES Of
FARMER IN TEXAS
PETER RADFORD SAYS TIDE II
HEADED UPSTREAM AND
MUST RE TURNED.

IChNA WIN L H. liAdNf june -
TO THE CITY MEN OF TEXAS
In this article want to record some
OF the difficulties that confront
Texas farmer In business way and
10 point out few substantial reas-
ons why so many farmers have not |
the price of home. ! shall not I'M
dertake to defend the Texas farm
or as a business man. he needs no
defense. lie produces per cent
of the wealth pays seven million dol
lars of taxes per annum and man
ages property valued at s2,Sj3,oOO-
eco. want to present some OF the
larger problems OF agriculture In the
hope of lifting the vision of city men
10 higher ground where they can
study the forces that are rending as
sunder the nations hearthstone ana
analyze the powerful agencies thai
must be set in motion II we are to
check the downward trend OF agri-
culture
According 10 authoritative esti-
mates. the farmers of Texas earn
from production. four per cent per
annum net on their investment and
consider these figures approximate
~ correct. The Federal Agricultur.
al Department has just announced
that the farmers of This State are
paving an average of ten per cent
per annum. or 10 quote exact figures
s9.g7. The agricultural Indebtedness
of Texas approXimates $225, OOo,Ooo
The difference between the amount
of interest paid and the amount
earned on this Indebtedness per an
mum is $4,000, 00O and as a logical
result something over two thousand
farmers lose their homeg. We are
rapidly passing from home-owners,
to tenants from tenants 10 laborers
and the laborers drift into the cities.
The tide In our affairs Is flowing
upstream and must be reversed II
We are to have an enduring ciyili-
zation. Farm peasantry is the most
alarming spectre that confronts the.
public Of Texas today. indeed II Isl
% the Industrial tragedy OF the pres
ent century. viii YOU come with
me for a moment and take a retro
spectiyc view OF the farm homes of
Texas? Behold each day a humid
red fathers covering the hearthstone
win Tie ashes o: failure: az many
mothers drenching the family altar
with tears of despair; and hundreds
OF innocent children pinned under
the fallen timbcrs OF wrecked homes.
Would YOU Doe surprised If these men
sinking as they struggle, cry aloud
against society? Is it not your prob
lem and minc'
Let MS quote the price of home
In the language of the farm. The
price of a home is the toll of ma
Their with babe In arms. the rearing
OF children in poverty and ignorance.
the mortgaging Of fathers life in
10 the umbcrs OF the structure and
lowering the standard of society to-
ward the primitive levels of Ciyiliza-
ton The farmer must be lifted to
where he can secure the price of a
home. the home must be reduced To
hoycl or agriculture will become
...,..t. ,,gunntiau
Wo will now reduce the price of
a home to dollars and cents and
carefully compute the cost of each
item of material entering into the
structure or market prices No civil
iya,ion can better serve its citizens
than by placing a home iu reach of
IFS humblcst laborer and We VIII
therefore follow the Texas farm la
borcr A. ne builds a home The task
is .o monumental that many shrink
from a in despair. others who sum
mons courage 10 try o., stunned by
tho struggle are sent staggering
down the thuroughiares OF failure
q, wander through life without am
hilton or hope Those who succeed
baeeard and aged step from its
porials into the grave. but We vii
produce the figures taken in the
main from the Federal census re-.
mort shall On this analysis dea
with aeeeral averages There are
az course. extremes IN all classes
hHr the average results are all that
can boz reasonably expected.
Take, sixty Year, Ia Build y Homo
Tho farm laborcrs of Texas receive
s, dollars per week without boar'
and fcv cents over four dollar.
nor week ith board Their mel
earning power az best hardly oxceedi
tf-p Der anuum. provided they arr
constantly employed, which Is not al
y,ys tho case. The first step OF
,,rm lsboror boz his journey towar'
home b Tenant farming although
many who undertake the task omi
this experience IN their upwar'
climb nrcforring 20 remain farm Ia
borers until they have accumulated
srfGeient funds 70 make the frs
payment on home. The ayerae
value Of farm equipment on a TeNa
f,rm is Sfp5o. including household
Goods II will take the farm labor
.r .oyen years 70 become a tenan
farmer The gross earnings Of
ra,ss farm are $3.50 per annum an
ore.third must 90 for rental. lea'
GAG him with $500 gross as his pro
norton From this sum must be 10
Quoted the cost Of living. feeding Oh
teams and the running expenses q