The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1918-02-07


them If the present tasks Of the
country are to be adequately per.
| formed. Both by direct purchas OF
nitlates and by the establishment OF
plants to produce nitrates the gov
eminent is doing it's best 10 assist
/ in The problem OF fertilization.
"lhe department OF agriculture
sisting the farmers to locate, safe
guard and secure at cost IA AIDE
auate supply of sound seed The
department has $2,5O0,00O available
| for this purpose now and has asked
the congress for $6,O00,0OO more. !.
great difficulty and some of the besl
agencies of the nation are address
| ing themselves to the task of solv-
it, so far as it is possible to
solve it. Farmers have not been ex-
empted from the draft. know that
they would not wish to be. take
it for granted they would not wish
this respect.
"But the attention of the war de-
partment has been very seriously
centered upon the task of interior
ing with the labor of the farms as
little as possible and under the new
farmers of the country will find that
their supply of labor is very. much
less seriously drawn upon than. it
was under the first draft, made be-
fore we had had our present full ex-
nerience in these perplexing matters.
The supply of labor in all industries
looking to with diligent care.
''And let me say that the simula-
ton Of the agencies / have enumer--
ated has been responded to by the
farmers in splendid fashion: dare
say that you are aware that the
farmers of this country are as eff
eent as any other tn nj farmer IN d tine
per acre than the farmers in Europe:
1t is not necessary that they should
do SO. 1t would perhaps be be-
economy for them to attempt it.
But they do produce by two to three
Or four times more per man per unit
Of labor and capital. than farmers
more alert and use more labor saw
in the world. And their response to
the demands of the present emerg-
ence has been in every way remark
Last spring their planting ex-
,eeded by 100000 acres the larg-
a and p the yied Is from f the crops
Of 1917 a wheat acreage Of 42,17O,-
900 was planted which was one mil
lion larger than any preceding year,
three million greater than the next
largest and seven million greater
than the preceding five years aver
age.
but ought to say to you that it
S not only necessary that these
achievements should be repeated,
out that they should be exceeded. |
know what this advice involves. Il
involves not only labor but sacrifices, !
he painstaking application of everv
bit of scientific knowledge and every |
means the utmost economy, even to
he point where the pinch comes. |
It means the kind of concentration !
md self sacrifice which is involved !
n the field of battle itself where the /
object always looms greater than the
Individual
The impression which pre-
rails in some quarters that while |
he government has sought to fix the |
]rice OF foodstuffs, it has not sought |
o fix other prices which determine |
he expenses of the farmer is a mis-
aiken one. AS a matter of fact, the
government has actively and success
materials underlying
LII the industries of the country and
las regulated them not only for the
purchases of the government but al
80 of the purchases of the general
public and ] have every reason to
)eiisve tnat congress will extend the |
powers fthe government in this inn
'or!ant and even essential matter.
10 that the tendency TO profteering |
which is showing itself in too many |
luarters, may be effectively checked.
''ln fixing the prices OF fOodstuffs !
he government has sincerely tried !
o keep the interests OF the farmer
Is much in mind as the interests OF
he communities which are to be |
served but it is serving mankind as
we'll as the farmer and everything |
'igid aspect of duty.
II will not appeal to you TO con-
niue and renew and increase your
.fforts. ! do not believe that it is |
. ccessaly to do SO. believe that you
vill Go il without any word or APP
zeal from me, because you under,
:tapd as we'll as do the needs, and
of this great hour /
when the fortunes ofmankind every
where seem about to be determined |
md when America has the greatest |
opportunity she has ever had to
make good her own freedom and
good to lend helping hand
o men struggling for these free /,
Ions e-eiywhera.
lyon remember that it was farm
RS fl ON whom came the first snot"
It Lexington, that set aflame the rev
.lution that made America free.
hope and believe that the farmers
If America will willingly and con-
picuously stand by to win this war
llso.
1.-THE toll, the INTELLIGENCE. the en-
'rgy, the foresight, the self sacrihce
America will, l believe, bring to a
triumphant conclusion this great last
var for the emancipation of men
rom the control of arbitrary gov
,1nment and the seliishness of class /
egislation and control. and then,
when the end, has come. we may
COX each other in the face and be
lad that we are Americans and
%o MI