The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-08-14
Back to the Farm

Back to the Farm
Another serious problem confront
ing the American people today is the
current from the farm to the town or
city, which is depicting the agricul-
tural section of this country. The last
census will show 60 per cent of our
population in the big centers, as agai-
nst 10 per cent in the early days of our
counrty's history There are now only
40 per cent to produce their own sup
plies and raw materials and food for
the other 60 per cent, as against 80
per cent in the beginning of our count
ry. These conditions should not exsist,
nor can the ratio continue to increase
without great suffering In the large
centers. And such suffering will only
increase the diffulCities in handling
the great problem before us. Congress
cannot legislate food and raw mater
ial into assistance nor happiness into
our homes. Somebody must produce
them. We must recognize that in its
last analysis our country is an agri-
cultural country and that the founda-
ton of our prosperity as a whole de.
ponds on the prosperity of the pro-
ducers. We must understand, too, that
the farmers must receive good prices
for their products if we wish the far
mers to produce. We must realize that
if we desire to keep more of our boys
and girls on the farm, farm ife must
be made more attractive, with modern
conveniences-- good roads, churches,
schools. In this age of competition
education is absolutely vital and ne.
cessary to every boy and girl. We
must educate not only their minds,
but their hearts, so that they will be-
come good citizens, which, after all, is
the foundation of good government.
I'VE should encourage our people
to become home owners &C much as
possible, in the country and in towns.
We must perfect our rural credit sys.
tenn and our federal reserve system,
so that farms and homes may be
bought and improved on long-term
loans and at low rate Of interest. A
man will defend his home quicker than
he will defend his boarding house.
Merchant Marine
The next big problem l wish to dis
cuss is the importance of having an
American merchant marine, operated
by American seamen, under the
American flag, to carry the products
of our farms, factories, mines and for
ests to the markets of the world. The
world war taught us that it was not
safe or profitable to depend on foreign
ships to move our products. Take, for
instance, our cotton. AS soon as wal
was declared the foreign ships attend
ed to their own business and our cot
ton producers were left, at the mercy
of the spectators.
"The result was that cotton dropped
from IA to 6 cents a pound and the
South lost millions of dollars. In Other
words, we were like department
store doing business and depending
upon it's competitors to deliver its
goods to its customers. have been &
member of the committee on Merchant
marine which has studied this problem
during the last eight years, and / an
glad to say that we have finally pass
ed the necessary laws to build ant
operate an American merchant marine
and l hope the American people viii
see that it never disappears from thu
seas again.
Home Manufactures
Another lesson we learned from
| the world war was the folly of depend
ing on somebody else for our manu-
featured goods. We have the creates
natural resources in the warld 70
maintaining and operating factorie
of all kinds. There is no good reasol
why we should not build up industrie
at home and not depend on foreig
countries for the necessities of life
We have our material and our fuel a
hand, so why should we not encourag
the building of factories? We haV
the best rice industry in the worl
and we should keep it so. We shOul
CONSERVE our timber and finish thes
Iproducts for use right at home.
System of Taxation
| Another problem that we ought {
consider as soon as possible is our no
Item of taxation. We should have mol
partisan scientific tax commission tn
same as our Tariff Commission, to STU
DIV the different systems of the worl
and report back to our law-makin
body, so that system may be adopte
that is less cumbersome, less expeI
sive and yet contain all the merits
our present system. Then, too, Ii
time has come when we must adol
budget system With budget sy