The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-06-20

sorry when the time came to move on
for 1t was the frst real home picnic
We have had and It sure was q relief
after 90 much dignity. have . mum.
ber Of snap shots Of the occasion and
Of the village with the thatched rooted
houses that will be pleasant remem.
brances.
We arrived In Vienna about 10 D. m
On Tuesday morning We got down ia
work again. Through the courtesy Of
the leading agricultural and govern.
ment oficisls we gathered Q great
store Of Information, but a. the and.
ings are very similar to those Of Hun.
gary ! will not repeat. The main
body Of the commission were enter.
tanned on Thursday with an excursion
and on Friday they went north to
Prag which in Austria is the center
Of cooperative work.
As q member Of the subcommittee
to visit Switzerland I left Wednesday
evening for that country.
Vienna Is said to be one Of the
most beautiful cities Of Europe. but
saw very little Of 1t because Of lack Of
time. As we are sent here for pur.
pose we feel It our duty to work first
and play afterwards II we have the
opportunity.
We arrived in Zurich, Switzerland,
Thursday after an eighteen hour ride
over the mountains. From day light
on we saw much fne scenery and for
the most part very comfortable
homes. We crossed the border be
tween Austria and Switzerland about
noon. On our arrival in. Zurich we
we're met by the American ambassa.
dor and by the Swiss gentlemen who
were to be our instructors.
We had the best program of the
trip prepared for us and the most
democratic people In the world to ad.
minister 1t to US. Our stay In Swift.
zerland was very profitable. They
have $500 cooperative farmer organ.
isations with a total membership Of
over 100000 farmers or one.third Of
the farmers of Switzerland and one.
ninth the total population. Ninety
two per cent Of the farmers own their
own farms and homes and they are q
high type of homes. The better farm
lands sell from 400 to 500 dollars an
acre. A COW to each one and quar-.
ter acres is kept. Milk and cheese
are the principle output and much at.
tention Is given to this industry. Not
many varieties of crops are grown,
wheat. barley and hay being the prin.
cipal ones. Hay making is in fall
blast. We saw more farm machinery
in operation here than in all our tray.
els SO far. Yet I take 1t that three.
fourths Of the hay is made by hand.
The old scythes and hand rakes that
our fathers discarded forty years ago
are in full operation. or course much
land is kept In meadow that . ma.
chine could not be run over. Immedi-
ately after the grass 10 removed they
haul out the liquid manure, which has
been saved In q cement basin and
scatter It over the ground. In this
way they are enabled to get two and
sometimes three crops of hay in sea-
son.
Nothing goes to waste here except
labor; It seems to us that machinery
could save much labor II its use was
more generally adopted.
The savings banks can and do fur.
nish the people with ell the money
necessary at four and q half to Ave
per cent and 1t seems to me that they
could make some good investments
In machinery. However, labor 10 rat
ed at 90 cents to S100 day and good
long days they are. We have seen
them in the fields, ct daylight and
there until o'clock at night.
The people Of Switzerland have an
average Of 800 per capita in the saw
ings banks, which Is good testi'
monial of their thrift. They make
special efforts to educate the people
and their system Of government is a
fitting monument to their success.
The people rule not through any
one mans policies but through a coun.
Gil Of seven members one Of whom Ia
chosen president for one year. He re-
ceives s4,500 year and the others re-
ceive $4,000 each. 1t takes $4,000 sign
ers or twelve per cent Of the people
to put measure to q vote Of the peo
pie. The farmers are so organized
that they can get $4,000 signers to 9
measure In a week II the Swiss Farm
ers' Union votes to invoke such &C
tion.
Tho Swiss Farmers Union Ia com