The Ordway new era., 1918-11-01
How will Peace
Affect Farmers

Representatives of the northern
and western farmers are asking the
meaning of the measures proposed by
the Department of the Interior for
the disposition of soldiers when they
return from the war. One of these
| measures calls for the survey OF
swamp lands.
The question is being asked: Where
are most of the swamp lands of the
United States located? The answer
is obviously known to all. in the states
of Louisiana, Mississippi. Florida, Al
ALBANIA, Arkansas and contiguous ter
ritory.
| II the initial step in providing for
the returning soldiers is to be the
spending of Government money in
reclaiming waste swamp lands of the
south, western and northern farmers
are asking where they come in.
Such q measure. though not yet
passed, would be apt 90 become a law
in line with the policy of the present
| Congress, which has framed legisla-
tion and appropriated money largely
| for the benefit of the south. 1t is
universally commented upon here
that the southern domination OF
Congress permits no opportunity to
pass to score an added advantage for
its own favored section of the coun
try.
The southern Democratic machine
is running Congress. despite%the fact
that 1t represents the smallest section
of the country in population, wealth
and industry.
| Tired Of Sectional Legislation
So far there has not been any out
standing protest against this fact,
but now when the question OF re-
construction is uppermost. Republic
can leaders assert that it Is time for
the country to know just what 1t will
mean to give the Democrats control
of the next Congress.
| II the Democrats control the next
Congress as they have controlled the
present Congress, tho passage OF the
measure to survey waste swamp
lands will probably pe merely pre-
lude to legislation extremely section
al and partisan in its application.
There would be no objection to the
reclamation of swamp lands, per Sc,
as such a proposition is entirely con-
sistent with the well established ma
tional policy of conservation. But
the record of the present Congress.
which is controlled by nine southern
states, has been one which is not cal
culated to inspire confidence in its
ability to view things from broad,
national standpoint.
AS proof of this, only two very
glaring examples of its bitter parti-
tsanship and extreme sectionalism
need be given. One is the persistent
refusal of the Democratic Congress
to fix the price of cotton in the face
of its eagerness to fix the price of
:, all northern products whether of the
field, mine or factory. The other
has been the gross favoritism shown
Ia Il ,to 60, In, ha 1f,-
cation of army camps and canton
ments, and the expenditure of vast
appropriations in southern states and
districts for no other reason, that
is apparent. than the mere fact that
such districts are the homes of Dem
ocratic leaders.
When Farmer VIII Need Help
The prospects 10, the American
farmer after the war Is not con-
sidered by economitE to be rosy,
unless the farm products IL this
country are adequately protected
now. And such is not the case. The
American farmer has been guaran-
teed only $2.2O bushe1 for his 1919
wheat crop. despite the fact that ag-
ricultural experts, and a special COM
mission appointed to investigate the
whole subject, recommended the min
imum guaranteed price of $2.46.
This commission stated that even at
$2.46 bushel. the farmer could not
make a cent of profit. The argu-
ment against increasing the guaran-
teed price of wheat runs as follows:
II peace is declared before the har-
vest of 1919. the world will be able
to draw upon the graneries of South
America, Australia and India, which
will Immediately increase the visible
supply of wheat in such p degree as
to cause a radical break In its price.
/ 1t is asserted that under such condi-