Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-03-19
PAT NAGLE MAKES
STARTLING CHARGE
Editor Says Farmers of Southwest
Are Exploited by Banks, Grain
4 Men and Retailers.
CONTROL PRESS AND CHURCH

DALLAS. Tex. March 1s.-Pat
Nsgle of Kingfisher, Okl., editor of
the Tenant Farmer, testifying today
at the hearing on American labor
conditions by the federal commission
on industrial relations, said
"In eastern Oklahoma, formerly
Indian territory, about two-thirds Of
the farmers are renters, In western
Oklahoma. formerly Oklahoma terri
tory, one-thlrd are renters and two
thirds own their land. Total renters
If Oklahoma now are 100000. OF
50, 900 farmers owning their land SO
per cent are mortgaged."
Mr.. Maggie described what he said were
typical conditions in the state as shown
in one Oklahoma county Of 1000 farmers
one-third Of whom were renters. OF the
| 1000 owning farms. he said, 80 per cent
J were mcrtgaged. He did not give the
countys name. but said:
interviewing Parasites.
Tn this county u county scat and
two electric light towns. In these electric
| 100 parasites of the first degree, These
parasites are interlocked. II the bank
that exploited the farmer through usury
should decry the graft OF the grainmen
what would happen? The grain man
would charge dsury, withdraw his de-
posits from the bank and report the
matter to the state Grain Dealers as
ISOLATION and this committee would take
the matter up with the banks corre-
spandents in Kansas City, Chicago. New
York and the bank would be refused ac-
commodations.
Mr.. Maggie said that mills, elevators and
other business interests in small towns
such as he described all helped more or
less to exploit farmers. He added;
Control Press and Church.
THE parasites OF the first degree are
virtually autocrats in their little king
dom. They control the press. The news
papers in electric towns are careful not
to publish anything that might eniighten
the farmer as to the inner workings of
these interlocked groups. They control
the church. They distribute themselves
among various churches of the community
and II the minister should denounce their
methods they would withhold their sup
| putN anu AuAAuShS1 anu ne SoOi WOdlu "
relieved OF his charge"
To this system of alleged control by
commercial interests of small towns. Mr.
Maggie charged, was due the fact that SC
per cent Of the farms OF the country
were mortgaged. Most of the other farm
ers. he said. escaped mortgages by MAX
ing extra money through side-line ac-
tivities In addition to farming
4 What Force Means.
Alleged demands OF land owners fol
children to work on southwestern tenant
farms were described by Magic. He said
1.-THE word force when referring ia
Oklahoma farm lands, does not mean a
bowie knife or a pistol. but battery OF
children with a woman at their head
Mr.. Nagle then read into the record
two letters from a land owner residing
near McI.ain county. okl. advising thai
the tenant To go on one OF his farms
must have plenty of force" He also
testified to an eviction OF an Oklahoms
tenant who was put off the land becaus,
he had no children. This farmer was old
Nagle said. and a young farmer with "a
force and young wife" had offered to
take the farm. IL given immediate pos
session.
Mr.. Nagle offered to give the commits
sion privately the name of the town
where he said, this eviction was pu
through by a town court