The Delta independent., 1917-03-30
WITH THE THINKERS.

W. a. AZ tilt BdtC ihi'i
prices are soaring. the big ranch will
soon have become a thing of the past.
Instead of each farmer having from
an eighty to a section, the general
run will be from twenty to eighty
acres. And why not? Is it fair that
all the land should be monopolized
by few men when the many could
earn an Independent living? Can we
not here see a possible solution of the
high cost of living problem? With a
reduced acreage the farmer is able
to give more attention to the scien-
tific side of agriculture and by in
tensive application can greatly in
crease the acre yield. In this way
the small farm should produce as
pense and work
w. H. Schenck-It seems from
what have been able to gather that
we have been experimenting with our
present form of government and civil
ization for some little time, and it has
ever proved a failure during the last
5000 years. Why not try the expert
ment on placing the government and
wealth of the country in the hands
of the people? They do not know
how to make ii any worse and there
is a chance for them to make It
better. Many men of ability under
the present system, educated. refined,
sensitive and honest. who could have
advanced the interests of the country,
have been ground to death by the un-
scrupulous money grabbers. Men
should rule ard not money. What
has the present system exceeded in?
War, poverty want. and destitution.
R NJ Birdsell-High cost of Iv-
ing? Why not not call it the penalty
OF utter wastefulness2 If willful
waste does not indeed invite woeful
want then the responsibility for the
cost of living is national No one
class of citizens should be held re
sponsibile, for all of us are impli-
Gated. BY our conduct, active and
passive. we waste ten billion dollars
annually. This means that out of
every one dollar earned, forty cents
counts for naught. Indeed. it is not
unlikely that this amazing wastage
may be even greater rather than less.
And yet we wonder why our money
brings us so scant a return. Oar
fault is that we can see what the
other fellow is wasting, but overlook
the ravages on our own ranches. Let
us pluck the beam from our own eyes.
and do better farming.
J. w. Murphy.-Food conditions all
over the world are such as 10 call for
the attention of thoughtful men. The
people everywhere are threatened by
world famine. and we are not ex-
empt from the danger 1t behooves
every man to look the food shortage
in the face and prepare to do his
part to alleviate ii. The world never
has to exceed one years provisions
ahead. but wars and short crops and
the deserving of the land in the heed
less rush of the population % the
cities have caused this stock to van
ish. Right now we have nothing
ahead of any consequence. so food
rioting has begun in the cities. Let
no one imagine that these food riots
are meaningless, for they are full of
meaning of the most sinister portent
Until conditions change very greatly
for the better it will be necessary for
every family to cultivate the soil in
some fashion and thus produce the
learger PROPORTION of its food. Every
vacant city lot in every city and town
should be farmed this year by plant
ing to food staples and garden veget-
ables. Raise a garden this year or
you may have to go hungery.
WIDE AND VARIED USES OF
ROPE SHOWN IN BULLETIN