The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-13

saves the future is yet to be proven The
problems that crowd upon forbid that
we react into the easy going life we held
before the war. 1t would be worse than
madness if we fail to profit by the lessons
that have come to us thru the pathway of
sacrifice and suffering. $780,.
Alarm In Farm Tenantry.
In Kansas one of the vital problems of
the hour is i'll the alarming growth ol
farm tenantry- We are first of all an ag-
ricuitural state and for many years it was
our boast that were state of home
owners but now We confront the fact that
substantially half the farm lands of this
state is owned for speculative PURPOSES
and is titled by men who do not own the
-soiI. 1t is an astonishing fact that in the
antry i'll Kansas has been rapid that
in some counties considerably more than
half of the lands are owned for specula-
tive purposes. There is no truer tounda-
ton to the stability OF a people than in
home ownership. The germ of the best
citizenship is i'll the love man has for
the homo he builds.
George Eliot once said, "A human life
should be well rooted in some spot of ma
tive soil where it may get the tender Jove
of kinship for the face Of earth, for the
sounds and accents that haunt il, some
spot where the definiteness of early train
ing may be inwrought with affection and
spread. not by sentimental effort and re-
Election but as sweet habit of the bless
ed This is the love of home which.
properly imbedded in the heart of the
citizen. is the saving principle of govern
ment itself. If are to foster in the
hearts of our people this principle, then
we Shall need to use every possible legis-
lative effort to discourage speculation in
our farm lands and to encourage the
ownership of homes.
People Wait for Chance
There are in our towns and cities many
people who would live upon the soil and
they could acquire modest firms on these
terms. There are coming back to us in the
succeeding weeks and months from home
training camps and service overseas, the
lives upon the altar of their countrys need
Let US do what we can to make possible
to those whose tendency leads them to the
cultivation of the soil. the possession of
land of their own. Our fathers made this
the greatest soldier state of the Union.
This state gave to the civil war more men
than it had voters at the time the war
commenced. They came back accompan-
the battle for the Union. They took lands
and became the backbone of the states
best citizenship. Let Kansas become
owning and safeguards the land against
the SPECTATOR and the history of the ia
theirs will repeat itself in that of the sons.
Everything that legislation can do to
make country life attractive, to establish
equitable taxes upon lands, to improve
comfortable communication thru good
roads should be done.
The Employment Problem.
7 believe that no more imperative duty
will challenge us within the next few
months than that of providing wholesome
labor conditions to take care of what will
necessarily be Il temporary surplus in la
furnished by the war industries. the train
ing camps ut home and the forces overseas
will soon be opened and rs the flow comes
back into the normal activities of life. there
will be need of an adjustment of condi-
tions to meet it, An analysis of the situa-
tion just received from the department of
labor at Washington recites the growth
, Of the problem caused by this flow during
/ the past six weeks.
hp iI-S+ 20 W q f.
age of labor: the second week. there was
Il slight increase in the number of cities
having unemployment and unsettled in
dustral relations the third week, a mark
ed change noticeable in the increa Sc
in the number of cities having unemploy-
ment and n substantial decrease in the
number Of cities where there was actual
shortage of labor. The fourth week show
ed more clearly the results of cancellation
Of contracts and the rehabilitation of men
from environments in the United States.
Twenty-fiv cities widely scattered show
ed q surplus of labor and sixteen cities
reported unsettled labor conditions. Three
cities requested federal aid in the settle
ment of labor disputes. The fifth week
the employment situation was still worse
thirty five cities reported labor SURPRISES
and eight cities requested federal aid in
the settlement Of labor difficulties. The
sivth week ending December % was still
worse. Forty-one cities reported labor
surplus: seventeen cities reported unsettled
immediate future Is less encouraging-
Many of the soldiers mustered out in De
cember and many of the discharged war
workers appear to have. taken two or
three weeks vacation. These came into the
labor market Immediately after the holt
days. At the same time the effect of the
cancellation of orders became more
acute. The need of providing employment
on public enterprises pending re-employ-
. ment in normal industry is become more
, and more pressing.
Kansas Is Threatened.
It has been our habit to say that this
problem will lot touch us In Kansas but
| it may be of interest to know that the rec