Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-01-26

From the necessity OF meeting the ur-
gent needs of the prc~eIs, IL i only a
step - anticipate the great demand, on
tins country !nr the future to provide for
the continuously increasing population
each year. This i. since railroad building
ceased two years ago. our population ha~
increased to Il point where We have 3 mil
hon more mouths To- feed. without any adj
dltlonal product 10 feed them with. Nil
hons of fertile but unused acres should b.
made available ~ c%uloni-t~ for the immc-
diate future. We need the products of
these idle lands badly. The only way they
can be opened Tor settlement and %culjiya-
tion i through railroads yet To- be- built. y
l. not possible IN any other way.
Sixty per cent ~ this country IN area lic-
west Of the Mississippi River. To furnish
IL with railroad facilities equal 10 thu east
vii require the construction of $50 thou
sand milc- ut new railroads.
There are undevclopcd sections a. large
n some uf the eastern states. and a. rich
n the best soil, of Europe. but - To- l25
mIlo~ from 4 railroad. lying idle for lack
Of transportation. The present uncmploy-
ed. and the future growing population
should he permitted 10 utilize these rich
fertile lands. which cannot be- tone without
Transportation facilitic-. THIS vast undo
vcIoped domain would wv attractive enough
lif IN any other section ~ the world. for
nations To- 20 10 war over. and vet u y
lying fallow at the doors Of our large CITIES
where there are millions Of people hungry
and without homes. This IL conclusive
that there j. something economically wrong
somewhere and must he remedied.
There are two factors necessary for our
food supply. transportation and produc-
tion. They are e~>ention ~ each other In
MI new countries the locomotive comes
first. closely followed by the pillow. With
ont the railroads and the markets. farming
can not W successfully undertaken. The
products would decay III the field. Rail
roads are essential.
Without reflection upon anyone or any
policy. We should profit hv the experience
We are now undergoing. We are up against
nm economic necessity, and al thinkers
-fl'ti'i AiiH Aitii btAffAllNi4 10 IL ~blliihN.
rather than dodge or shift the rc-pon~i-
hlhly. The main thing to de- j, to lind u
way for the restoration 81 constructive
work. With four or tive million people IN
this country either starving 81 III half "a
'tion- through lack of employment. some
thing must be done e. stop this growing
distress.
Many ~ the unfortunate people who
find themselves without work would seek
homes IN the country III there were cheap
lands to b. had. Cheap land, accessible
"a existing railroads are Y thing 81 the
past. " makes u vast difference "a \ man
with small means whether IN can buy a
farm Tor ~ln 90 SO an acre. o. whether h.
mu~' pay 80 To- $3.50 IN ucrc. And yet
there are enough high class idle %acricul-
tural lands III thu country ~ NEE, the
demands 81 the normal growth IT the coun-
Try Tor the next twenty years. ii railroads
are built to them 20 that the farmers at
tracted e. these lands could market their
crops.
To say hat these people who are suffer
inc IN c"ngc-tcd center> will not "a into the
rural di~irlct- II an opportunity j. offered
them i q mistake. You have al seen when
ever the government ha~ opened NJ and
offered new lands ~ the public. people
from all part of the United Siate>, and
from All GLASSES. have campcd on the lines
Of the public reservations Tor weeks IN adj
vance. and have almost rioted among them
-alN-a- ~ tb.. Ill. IL e.
signal from the government that the farm
lands were open for settlement.
Most 81 the unemployed men and women
III Chicago. New York and other big cen
ter~ would hc willing Ia 10 anything that
would furnish homes for themselves. and
az opportunity to educate their children.
Naturally under such conditions ~ now
surround a.. there J. \ Tot Of impractical
thcurlzlng. and at III, same time many
good. practical suggestions. but the kind
~ help proposed l. necessarily of 4 tenn
porary character. These unemployed pco-
pie can not continue 10 live and receive
their ~u~tenance. 10 say nothing Of edncat-
ing their children. through national. state
or city and. This big government must af-
ford opportunities Tor these pcoplc. 10 he
come producing and >elf-,u~tainins ci,i-
zens. The farm i the only place u accom-
pil~h thi> until the growth If the rural dis
trrct~ caichc. M with the cities in ~equaliz-
m production 10 consumption.
II J. n mistake to regard these people a.
n class unable to make a living. MANY IL
them are on the charity list FOR no other
reason than lack Of opportunity. and are
willing Ia 0iv. tbap, , .bar.o L,