The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1918-03-28

BalWln said, was formed in NOvem-
Der 1915. The directors are Percy
A. Rockefeller, J.. Ogden Armour, R.
Dollar, Frank A. Vanderbilt, Theodore
N. Vail, Otto H. Kahn, Pierre S. du
Pont, James S. Stillman, Bekman
Winthrop, Charles A. Stone, Charles
A. Coffin, George j. Ambrose Nor
rell, Henry S. Pritchett, William E.
Saunders, Guy E. Trip, Edwin S.
Webster, Albert H. Wiggens and Will
liam Woodward"
The following is an excerpt from
the final report of the commission on
Industrial Relations, a government
body appointed by Congress to inves-
tigate industrial conditions through
out the country: "The last census
shows that we are becoming the VIC
tins of increasing absentee land
lordism and farm tenancy. It points
out that while the number of farm
owners during the preceding decade
increased 8 per cent, the number of
farm tenants increased 16 per cent.
If this ratio should continue for a few
TO- decades, many parts of our re-
public will find themselves in the con-
dition from which Ireland has so re-
Gently emerged. For many genera
tions Ireland was n of the most
distressed countries in the world. All
Of it's evils were due primarily to alb
sentee landlords and farm tenents.
But within the last decade a wonder
full change has taken place in the So
cial and economic conditions of the
Irish peasant, brought about by the
enactment by Parliament of what has
since become known as the Irish land
bill. This act created a royal COM
mission, with power to appraise the
large Irish land estates owned by alb
sentee landlords, at their real and
not at speculative value, to buy them
in the name of the government at the
appraised value, plus a IL per cent
bonus, to cut them up into small
parcels, to sell them to worthy farm
tenants, giving some 70 years time
in which to make small annual pay
ments on the amortization plan, the
deferred payments bearing but 8 per
cent interest. In addition to this, the
government made personal loans to
peasants sufficient to cover the cost
of stock and farm implements, also
payable in small annual installments
bearing a minimum rate of interest.
The government further furnished
the various farm districts with farm
advisors, trained graduates from ag-
ricultural colleges, who act as friend,
advisor, and scientific farm instruct
or to the peasants. Within a decade
the wretched and more or less law
defying farm tenant has been convert
ed into an Industrious, progressive
and law abiding landed proprietor; in
fact, he has become so law-abiding
that many fail in the farming dis
tricts, formerly filled with agrarian
criminals have been converted into
public schools. In Texas this COM
mission found a condition of farm
tenancy like that of Ireland and
seemingly typical of growing condi-
tions in various parts Of the country.
We therefore recommend to congress
and to the various states, that steps
shall be taken to Tighten the burden of
the small farmer, and make it more
possible to encouraged the tenant, farm
laborer and city dweller to become
land p~roprietors. Not least among
the burdens Of the small farmer is
the great difficulty, as a rule, on his
part in obtaining the necessary credit
with which to better and to Improve
his land, at low rate Of interest and
under terms that will permit him to
make payments spread over a long
term Of years."
Several papers in the country are
bowling that they are not members
of the 'kept press" bunch. Well,
who said they were? Anyone with
common sense realizes that they are
not large enough to be in that class.
What about that special number
concerning A. M. Hagan, wifit? Just
bluffing as usual, weren't you?
It seems passing strange, but new
ertheless true, that the Minot Mes
senger sidesteps since we preached the
$4,000 mortgage proposition. Sort
Of got your fingers burnt, eh wiffit?
IN q r~ecAntSiaii1a Garden. fh0 S0ur-