Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1914-03-06

pl0WS, but Is patience a par from JUS,
tice? The labor problem OF Texas
today is on the farm and the first at
tention should be given those who
labor in the field.
The Need Of Cheap Money.
Agriculture has never been properly
financed The farmer pays much
higher rate of interest, as rule. than
any other class OF borrower and his
property, especially that of farm prod
ucts, is not so readily accepted as
basis of credit as the property of other
lines of industry of equal market
value.
The farmers of Texas owe s2O0,O00,-
900 and they pay from ten to thirty
per cent per annum interest. This
load, more than any other, is breaking
the back of the Texas farmer.
A rural or land credit system is
needed that will enable farmer to
buy home on long time at cheap
rate of interest. The land problem in
Texas presents extremes that proba-
bly, do not exist in any other country
on the globe. More than half the
farmers are landless, and we have H.
1913 plantations and ranches contain
ing more than 1000 acres each, and
1888 with 500 to 1000 acres each.
We have more large farms and
ranches than any other State in the
| Union.
A statute based on sound business
principles that will enable the landless
to buy and encourage the large land
owner to sell, is much needed, and one
that merits the most serious consid-
Grafton of the Legislature.
The financial problem of the State
and Nation is on the farm and first
attention should be given to those who
create the Nations wealth.
Compulsory Education Favored.
Our educational problems cannot be
satisfactorily solved by making more
liberal appropriations for our univer-
stiles and colleges and we may add,
district schools.
The educational problem in Texas
at this hour is not in the school room.
1t is in the home and the field 1t is
a hard struggle for many farmers to
keep their children in local schools,
and AZ per cent fail utterly, and not
| over per cent send their children off
to high school, although 60 per cent
would gladly do so If they were not
restrained by poverty.
We now have 100000 children Of
scholastic age that can neither read or
write. There can be no excuse given
/ to either God or man that will justify
parents in raising their children in
! ignorance, no matter what hardships
! it may entail, and there should be a
/ law passed compelling children to at
! tend school during the entire school
term. Such a statute and better paid
teachers and a more practical course
of study will increase the efficiency
of our boys and girls for the battles
of life.
In higher education there is involv-
ed a financial obligation which cannot
be discharged by statutory enactment
1t can only be met by making the
business of farming more remunera-
tive through a system of cooperative
laws and better marketing methods.
Our educational problem is in the
farm, and first attention should be
given the country school.
Stock and Bond Law.
The stock and bond law is a master
piece of constructive legislation that
no one would repeal but few would
amend. We are not sufficiently famil-
lar with this subject to offer a sug
gestion, but at the expense of being
considered impertinent, we want to
ask If this is a perfect piece of legis-
| lation? A great portion of our State
is yet unrailed, and the present facili-
ties are inadequate to properly handle
the traffic. The extension and i'm
provement of our railroad properties is
a matter we leave in the hands of the
Railroad Commission. We assign this
subject to their wisdom, ability and
patriotism, and do not believe their
work should be blockaded by opinions
or restrained by superstition.
Good roads is a subject of over
shadowing Importance, and additional
legislation is much needed. The prob
lem of transportation is on the farm
for the farmer is a beneficiary of all
improvements in highways and rail
roads.
Our Pententiary System.
Our penitentiaries have been the
subject of much public discussion and
legislative action. The farmer stands
for humane treatment of convicts, eff
ficient business methods in operation
and character restoring of the crimi
nails, but does not think the peniten
tiary should be made more attractive
nlace IN live in than the average citi