Graham guardian., 1919-01-31

SSiG;"' S|ti'
be successful, about one hundred
families, each to have from 10 to
25 acres to the family, each COL
ony to maintain a demonstration
farm. The British mostly favor
the tenament plan rather than
ownership. Discharged soldiers
are expected to work year in
one of these colonies before TAX
ing up a small holding.
Increased Production
In Canada they not only keep
the returning soldiers ON the
land, but aid and encourage them
in increased production. The es-
sential features of this plan are
the bestowal of agricultural cred
it when needed, community ad-
visory boards serve without COM
pensation. In Canada, the SOL
dier is entitled to 160 acres va
cant government land, and as a
soldier, he may take up two ad-
ditional one-quarter sections,
making 320 acres. The board
can loan to the settler So, 500
agreeable to his securities. Pay
ment of principal reaches over a
period of twenty years, the rate
of interest being S per cent. To
acquire freeholder's right, set.
tlement and cultivation are re-
quiz ed.
Australia has provided about
5000, 600, coo. and they have only
, one-twentieth of the population
we have, and about one-tenth
the number Of soldiers we have,
and less than one-tenth of those
that we will have. Taken on the
same basis, our appropriation for
this work, as nation, should be
$4, 600, 600, 900. One of the states,
New South Wales, provided 5000
, soldiers, and will furnish So, 500
to each man, in addition to the
land. You can figure what it
means in money to provide SIS, 600
to each soldier to equip the farm,
and then pay for the land be-
sides that. That much has been
done on that continent before the
great body Of their soldiers re-
/ turn. The State of Victoria, a
little larger than the State we are
holding this meeting in, but far
less in population and in wealth,
has already provided twelve and
a half million dollars to secure
the necessary land. We have
forty-eight states in this coun-
try, ali differing in climate, meth
ods of agriculture and people.
Consider the difference in these
regards between Washington or
Oregon and Virginia. The ques-
tion of how we are to provide
homes for these men returning
! from military service must be
taken up locally, if it is to be a
successful and solvent scheme.
The people of the State of New
York, of Virginia, of those states
that made large contributions of
soldier boys, because this is an
army of young men or boys, each
state wants it's young men to
come home.
What ls To Be My Chance
Just like pulling your finger
out of a barrel of molasses, all OF
the holes made by our boys alb
sence from home have, in a
measure been filled. What is
my life to be when get home.
Am | to go hustling for job, or
will the old place be mine? But
if a girl has that place and wishes
to be her own mistress in the
| future what then2 School! Oh,
can't go back to school. When
left | was only twenty-one, but
now ! am thirty-one. And |
have lived with men, fought with
them, been sometimes bested by
them, learned to know them in all
their Iittlenesses and their great
goodnesses. Responsibility has
been mine, and the still slences
of the night have given me a
chance to think and wonder why
| am and why it should make
any difference whether | ever
saw home again or not. | am
back now. back for a mans life.
This America that has called me
out, has called me back, and it
will have something for me to
do. "
We clip from the Agricultural
Review, organ of the lnterna-
IL. y y II Il