The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1913-10-31
IMPORTANCE OF
LAND MOVEMENT
Former Naval Auditor Makes
Some Practical Suggestions.
MERIT IN PLAN OUTLINED.


Agitation Of Soil Ownership 10 Not the
Special Propaganda Of Any One In.
dividuai or Race, but the Common
Privilege Of All-south Has Album.
dance Of Idle Territory.
BY RALPH W. TYLER.
Owensboro. Ky.-The back to the
farm" movement, which q few years
ago was the pet hobby Of DR.. Booker T.
Washington. has now become a veri-
table slogan with the whites Of this
country. Quite recently prominent
white men, members Of boards Of
trade and chambers of commerce in
the large cities Of the south, appeared
In Washington as committee and Pc
tttioned the commissioner Of immigra.
tion to turn the tide Of foreign immi.
grafton arriving daily In New York
form the great west to the southeast
ern states.
This indicates that the whites want
the vast area Of unimproved farm
lands in that section developed and
they welcome the Italian. the Greek.
Russian Jew. Slav, Pole or Hungari-
an immigrant to the south for that
purpose. Once the tide Of foreign i'm.
migration IL diverted to the fertile
southeast 1t will continue until all Of
the more than 100000 acres Of un-
improved farm lands In that section
are taken up and made to enrich the
tillers and to supply the country with
farm products. the insuficiency Of
which at present contributes to the
high cost Of living.
What are termed the southeastern
states include Alabama, Florida. Ken
tucky. Mississippi, North and South
Carolina. Georgia. Tennessee and vir-
ginia. states whose colored population
at present is 6.5O0.OO0. nearly two
thirds Of the entire colored population
Of the country. OF this 8.5OO.O In
the southeastern states fully one-half
II crowded into congested quarters Of
the large cities. where they must bat
tie '6ercely amid insanitary surround
ings and prejudiced labor unions for
an existence which promises no rose
ate future.
Back to the farm" il no longer the
exclusive propaganda Of DR.. Washing
ton. Every state In the Union Is en-
phasizing II by maintaining one or
more splendidly equipped agricultural
colleges. In which scientific farming is
taught the young white men and WON,
en-. It is emphasized by big white
syndicates buying up farm acreage for
speculation. In anticipation Of the real
ization of this assured back to the
farm" movement. Alabama has H.
03S.731 acres of unimproved farm
lands. Florida 3.44S. 100 acres. Georgia
800 acres. Kentucky 7.s34.598
acres, Mississippi l,7O2.373 acres,
North Carolina l3.626.O7S acres. South
Carolina 7.414.O29 acres. Tennessee
9.161. lib acres and Virginia 9,825.67s
acres.
There Is now a splendid opportunity
FOR q cooperative movement among
our people which will have for its pur-
pose the purchasing Of much Of these
moro than 100000 acres of unim-
proved farm lands in the southeast and
10 convert them into productive fields
of truck crops. waving grain. stock
ranches or rice and cotton plantations.
Mississippi's soil will yield 121 bushels
of corn to the acre. and South Caro-
|ina's soil has yielded over 200 bushels
of this much demanded grain to the
acre. Wheat. long considered the mo-
nopoly Of the north and west. has been
grown In Georgia and North Carolina.
with q yield Of 6fty bushels to the
lcre. and In the southeast oats. anoth-
Or crop long considered exclusively in
digenous to the plains Of the north
and west. have yielded sixty bushels
and more to the acre.
A false notion, too long holding him
In fetters. has caused the Negro to re-
gard the farm as the rightful sphere Of
the untutored and the crowded city the
proper haven for those who have Sc
cured q smattering Of the dead Ian
guages and a faint understanding Of
the Pythagorean theoren. The result
has been that into the crowded cities
Negroes have rushed only to 6nd In !
most Instances they can hardly have
elbow room: that race prejudice in
creases in proportion as their numbers
Increase. and that the dreamed Of fu.
ture Of wealth and ease is. after all.
but q mirage which leads on to q
In which many ultimately
The opportunity Of II i,fetime for 90