The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-01-27
By EDWARD X. GRAHAM

GRAHAM
OF North Carolina.
Weekly.
sharing and cooperation between all
factors, eve in business itself; and
will be that community |
which extends to every detail Of its
economic life that same doctrine of
fraternal cooperation which gave us
democratic government and the Chris
tan religion. |
When we look at the fact Of the |
conditions of orr schools, our
churches, our roads, we are apt to
feel discouraged, and to wonder what !
is the tronbie with our government
and theories Of government. We do
not like it when we see that we stand |
near the bottom of the long roll OF
States in illiteracy, and near the top
in the proportion of our children that
work in factories Some of our friends
tell us that these children live under
better conditions in their mill homes
| than they did in their farm homes.
Perhaps they do; but none Of US car
deny that the economic condition that
makes this true is a wrong condition.
We are responsible for it, as well as
the mill owners It is q good thing to
pass a law requiring compulsory at
tendance and a six months term; but
we must go deeper than that. The
economic eHar Of the whole COM
munity must have a sound foundation
to be able to enjoy these privileges
and pay this mony. We conduct these
enterprises on the community surplus.
and when we come to examine the
facts and find there S little surplus,
we see clearly enough why it is that
l n rYyh1y0 nrornriuor 81 49,
the State treasury exhausted.
DR.. Bradford Knapp told the bank
ers in Asheville a few months ago that
the people of North Carolina are send
ing $3S,64O, S85 out Of the State every
year for supplies hat might be raised
at home. The commission appointed
by the Governor reports that the feed
stuff imported into the State this year
will amount to over $50, 600, 600. II
says that the armer pay from IL
, per cent to 20 per cent for their loans
{ Our farms created $2O9, 600, 900 OF
, wealth in 1909, but their feed bill was
$223, eco, eco. We have produced il
? two and One-half years more than W.
have accumulated on our textbooks il
two and one-haf centuries. Any mar
: who will study the figures that repre-
. sent our productive life will agree will
T Prof. e. c. Branson when he say tina
t withdrawing power Of Nort1
> Carolina is enormous, but its wealth
. retaining power is feeble" And it i
y on the yearly cash balance OF the com
g munity thai all Of our public enter
prises Of upfift depend for support.
, This then is the problem for tn
good-schools people, the good-road
people. the good-churches people. fc
= good citizenship Of every sort: hoy
= can we make this community bank &C
count more prosperous? Or can "
make this question more definite still
How can we protect and promote tn
material prosperity Of the home Of tn
productive man on the farm? For
- we picture North Carolina civilzatio
from any angle we choose, lookin
at it through the schools, the churcl
- the store, the railroad, the town, "
see as h saving grace of it the pro:
porous farm, tiled by it's owner. The1
;s is the living heart of hi matter!
~ our civilization is planted on the pro:
:. porous home-Owned farm, it will be {
a tree planted by rivers of Watel
\ planted on a political and social eco
- Omy that pi events and
home ownership, it's leaf and fru
"a will be Withered and barren. Und1
present conditions it seems more pro
liable to move to town, take stoe
in the bank and run a store; and y
=, may expect the owner to move, b
-: we needn't expect the one-year tel
10 ant to borrow at the bank, buy at II
store. and have enough money al
ambition left to be a forward-ookin
upward building citizen. None of o.
institutions. will be safely prospero'
:. if this productive farm-home is n
rs safely prosperous. The facts tell us
is not safely prosperous.
in Home ownership Of our produci1
,c- farms is decreasing instead Of increa
Cd ing. In 1880, thirty-three per cent
he the farmers in North Carolina we
tenants; in 1890, ~thirty-four per Ger
m in 1900, f~orty-one per cent; in 191
ed forty-two per cent. In our own toy
MS of Charlotte, population ana "eai
N have multlpile0 at a Ia1ry-iike SPee
in We have gained 88 per cent in popul
his ton, and practically doubled 0
zot wealth with each decade. But t