The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1917-08-09
NEWS FROM COUNTY
Notes from Silver Lake

Silver Lake last Sunday and the affair
attracted between four and five thous'
and people, practically all Of whom
came in automobiles, II is said that
there were more automobiles on this
ground Sunday afternoon than have
ever been gather ed at one place in this
county up to this time.
Those in charge of the picnic had
the Marine band present TO furnish
music and the association provided
lunch for all who wece there at noon
time.
In the afternoon addresses we're made
by G. w. Scott recently with the coun-
" council of defense and now in the
employ of the newly formed cheese
makers association Of the county, and
by Prof. G. A. Benkendort of the State
University, Dist. Atty. c. L, Brady,
Louis Wallis and others.
Prof. Benkendorf spoke on the feed
ing value of various cattle and hog
foods, and the necessity under present
conditions for the raising OF cattle and
hogs, and Mr.. Brady spoke on the
dairy and food laws of the state.
That the farmers Of North Dakota,
Washington and Western Canada are
more and more favoring the exemption
of improvements from taxation, and
the raising Of public revenue by taxa
ton of land values; and that this is the
best method Of financing the war;
were some of the points emphasized
by Louis Wallis, who represents the
Joseph FEELS International Commission.
Mrs. Fels last week gave an additional
1000 to the High Living Cost Com
mittee at Washington for the read
justGent Of our land system. Mr..
Wallis spoke in part as follows;
eve have been fortunate in possess
ing greater national estate of land
than has ever yet fallen to the lot of
any people. So long as there was a
chance for the discontinued TO leave
the cities ana older settlements in the
East, and acquire homes on reasonable
terms, the social problems which tor
ment Europe did not press upon us for
solution. 1t is true that the govern
ment still offers land to the settler;
but in order to get this land, it is ne
cessary to locate far away from the
centers Of population, taking long jour
neys past perfectly good soil which is
held out Of use in large amounts.
Produce raised on such distant land
cannot be sent to market in competi-
ton with the output of farms lying
near the big cities Consequently, the
public land still remaining open does
not afford the desired relief.
Good farm land anywhere within
reasonable distance OF the markets
has gone up to such figure that few
young couples can start in life in the
rural districts with home of their
own. Farm tenantry is enormously on
the increase. We are witnessing the
rapid disappearance Of the old, sturdy
class of Independent farmers. More
than three quarters OF the improved
farm lands Of Texas, for instance, are
either leased or encountered. AT the
same time, 1000, 900 acres are held
out of use in Texas on speculation.
The home. owning farmer is vanishing
from the state OF oklahoma. And
this condition Is not peculiar to the
South. Turning to the state OF illinois,
for instance, we find that from forty to
fifty percent Of the farmers have al
ready become tenants The taxa
ton of land values would make it i'm.
possible 10 hold the earth idle and |
out Of use, away from the reach of cap
ital and labor while, at the same |
time, the untaXing of improve
ments and all products Of labor would |
make II easier TO invest capital in real |
productive business. Our present sys
tenn obstructs its own progress
"Sixty per cent Of the property in
America is already owned by only two
per cent OF the people. This is no. u
theory. It is fact revealed by Unit
ed States government statistics. Home
owning is on the decline in our Cities
as everybody knows. The same is
true Of the country districts, as gov
eminent reports make plain. Back !
in the year 1850, twenty-five per cent
Of Onr farmers were tenants Ten |
years later in 1890, The proportion had
swelled to twenty.eight per cent by
1900, the figures had leaped up 70
thirty-dye per cent. In 1910, thirty
seven per cent Of American farmers
had become tenants. This increase
continues at the present time, until 10
many places from forty 70 sixty per
cent Of the farmers have no landed
property Of their own. And the vast
majority Of these tenant farmers are
native Americans. These plain and
simple facts prove 10 us that America
is rapidly becoming like Europe, and
separating into two classes, an upper
AID a lower class Social conditions
are becoming harder and harder all
the time. Our wage earners, and
farmers and small business men are
finding 1t more difficult to make liy.
ing"