The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-09-17

~ o3u3<x4A tu0 lAA " 8uU ia n A<A n
lays work. They all think
have to 30 10 the movies ever r. 4
md q wear . stiR collar a. -
oaly six hours = day. IL ~. Il
gushing! Crhe author Of tn ~
burst often works one hoar 4 Ss< q
OF bonds.)
Tho farmers. on the other NJ
while they paint an equally .aiasS
ing picture OF this national ~.
tion, say It is all the fault = ~
economic system, and that ~.
young fellows are leaving tn ~. 3
because they can't make 8 M
there.
The farmers are right In IL,
last contention. You can seaiS,
prove that for yourself b. Soiss
into the country districts amy
and talking to the people M
very doubtful whether any -
Toys leave the farms nowadays -
the cities, out Of q deliberate -.
erence for urban life, than have Il.
ways done 20. Here and thec. ! +
. boy born in the country vSoe1
greatest usefulness and happinee,
IL naturally found in the city NJ
he usually gets there. But IL thops
II one Thing uncertain about coaa.
try people, especially men, 4 d
that they like the country. n
like the freedom. the old clothsa ~
outdoor life. the animals. Tho 8
not have tofvork - hard sr q,
folk, despite the popular BELIEF s
the contrary. They work harG
harvest time. but in January ~
60 coon hunting.
Why They Leave
Why, then, do SO many couatu
boys go to the cities. Chiefly 3
cause Their is no other place ter
them to 60. Go into any "a.
settled farming district, such =
eastern Maryland. Talk to . sr-
mer who has four boys. Three Il
them, he will tell you, are sulns
away. The fourth boy will stay aad
inherit the old homestead. WY
don't the others buy farms! M
several reasons. In the first plaza,
the good farms are not for sale, md
they don't want the poor ones. In
the second place. to buy unimproved
land and put it under cultivation
takes more capital than they oaa
! command.
So the boys 60 to New York or 10
Philadelphia and become automo-
bile mechanics or electricians, o.
else they 60 west in search Of lapl,
But going west is getting to BE-
poor expedient. The greater par,
! OF its arabic lands are as crowded
as those Of the east. or its public
, lands little is left but desert. JUS
+, as the east has it's swamps and cut.
overs which might be made into
farms, SO the west has its irrigabll
deserts. But in both cases 1t viii
take the strong hand Of govern
ment to make these lands available
There is no mystery in this %
called movement Of the COUNT!
population to the cities, nor does I
!, represent any great change In TIL
feeling or viewpoint Of the people
/ or any new restlessness. tn
simple fact is that there are jus
SO many farms in the United States
Every one of them that will yield
living for hard work 10 being titled
, and a good many that will not yiel'
a living in the long run are beinl
/ titled. The area OF cultivation 4
being extended slowly. which b IL
J only way it can be extended BY mo-
| working singly. with little capita
and upon the least desirable In
in the country. ~
J 1t is true that the population
increasing faster than the fcod SUP
ply. Nevertheless the food suppl
is still adequate. Its high price
due almost wholly to the way It
distributed.
The movement from the countI
to the cities will go on steadily an
for a long time. 1t is inevitable
a nation which is changing from .
agricultural basis to a commercil
and manufacturing one. But u
farms will always be titled. and
soon Is the government gets dow
to the necessary work of creatir
more farms, those will be tile
too.