Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-20

I. NJ. Rhodes. president Of the Ten
nesses division and chairman OF the
national board Of dir rturs OF The
Farmers Union. has just finished Is
flying trip through Georgia In com
pany Of Charles $ Barrett. uationa.
president OF the Farmers. Union and
J. J. Brown. former Commissioner Ul
Agriculture Of Georgia. The follow
ing message 10 the farmers as celiv-
cred by Mr. Rhodes a1auuas in suga
truth and fact not generally known.
"The marvellous grandeur Of The
worlds progress astUurds and amaZes
us, yet the wouG rtl. story would
never have been written had 10 not
been for the eyer-taltAfll farmer
Agriculture is basic Upon fl rests
cities, commerce and civilization. The
people OF the earth consume 60,0O0,-
900 tons OF food annually Five hum
bred and eighty-tWo million tons OF 10
come from the farm Human beings
are clothed in the products OF the
farm from the time they are born un-
I'll they embark for eternity Yet ever
since Grandfather Adam made the
mistake that caused him to lose the
family estate the farmer has been a
failure IN business
Farmer Behind in Business.
In business development Of the
United States IN the last century the
farmer has fallen behind. In the pro-
cession Of modern business methods
he has followed where he should have
led.
when we became a nation the farm
er owned 80 per cent Of the wealth
In 1880 our national wealth was
81 600 000. 900 and the farmer owned
$4,000 600 900, or four seventies.
"In 1918 our national wealth Is esti-
mated at Sl3l, 900, 600. 900. and the
farmer owns $26 600 OOO. 600 our farm
property Is valued at nearly $4,000
100000 but 81 1000, 900. 600 is owned by
other classes than farmers.
The above figures show that farm
ers are not holding their own, for II
they had kept pace with other voca-
lions since 1850 they would now own
SIS, 200, 0OO. 900 worth OF wealth instead
of S26 000, GOO, 900 Their lack OF bust
ness methods and failure TO match
conditions have cost them $40 600,
000. GOO. This would buy all the farm
property I'm the United States and
have enough left TO buy a half interest
in all the railroads.
In a score Of years the farmers Of
this country have produced $135,00O r.
000. 600 worth Of farm products. or
enough to buy all the property In the
United States. Yet this wonderful
amount Of wealth has not gone to the
farmers We have 10000 men in this
country who own an average Of $lO.-
100000 each And their combined
wealth is 100000 600, 900 The other
80 100000 people own $3l 900 100000,
OF our lO0,000,000. 6O,0G0.0O are home-
less.
Twelve men control one-third OF
our wealth, and one man controls
nearly one-tenth Of the wealth Of this
the richest country in the world. At
the rate we are going capital will own
practically all our wealth in another
generation.
sixty three land companies and
rich individuals own an area equal
to Tennessee, Mississippi. Alabama
and North and South Carolina.
Liberty can not long exist in a
country where the tendency is TO
confne the wealth to a few hands, for
he who controls a nations money
controls its people.
Union Is Educational.
Knowing that our liberty was
bought with holy blood and sacred
tears and seeing that we must or
game and change our present meth
DDS or surrender, we organized the
Farmers Educational and Co-Opera-
tive Union of America Believing that
lack Of practical knowledge is mans
greatest enemy we placed 'educa-
ton as the first word in our name
And knowing that a people are never
strong when they are wrong, we Sc
lected as our motto: Equity, Justice
and the Golden Rule Our prpaniZa-
ton has steadily grown. until now II