The Lubbock avalanche. (Lubbock, Tex.) 1909-1922, 1921-10-13
CITY UNEMPLOYMENT


In cartoon printed recently In an
eastern newspaper an attempt was
made TO portray the Gowntrodden
condition Of the present day farmer.
Two views were shown. One repre-
sented the farmer Of century ago
when two out OF three families lived
on the farm. In this picture stall
wart farmer walked erect, carrying
with ease his burden, a diminutiye
city man. The other picture repre-
sented present conditions when two
families out Of three live in town,
and must be supported by one fam
lily living on the farm. In this pic
ture the farmer, only half as large as
the city man he carried, is bent un-
der load that is too heavy to be
borne.
In referring to the change that has
occurred in the last century in the ra-
ito of the rural to urban population,
we are in the habit Of saying that
the farmer family once had only it.
self to support and that now il must
provide food and raiment for three
families, one on the farm and two
in town. In saying this however, we
do not mean to imply that the farm
er gives the town dweller anything,
neither do we attempt to obscure the
fundamental fact that farming is
business and not charity. Farmers do
not raise crops to keep the world from
starving any more than manufactur-
ers, run clothing factories to keep
the world from going naked. What
keeps the farmer going beyond the
point of providing a mere living for
his family is the hope Of making a
profit on the surplus he produces.
We all realize that the elementary
needs of humankind can be not only
when supplying those needs yields a
profit to the more intelligent and in
dustrious Of those engaged in the
business and living for the average
worker.
The cartoonist in attempting to
express unqualified sympathy for the
farmer in his present plight, while
perfectly well intentioned, was woe
fully misguided in his thinking No
one doubts that the present day
farmer has many ills to bear, but one
of them is not that there are too few
engaged in farming. A situation in
which too few farmers cannot help
being highly satisfactory to those
who are engaged in this industry,
just as a situation in which there
were too few grocers, could only be
regarded as exceedingly fortunate
for those selling groceries.
Looking at the matter from the
10 g., bn ttrrrcf
thing that could befall him would be
to bring more people back to the
land and set them TO competing with
those already there As il Is the world
has plenty Of food, and as many
farmers are now engaged in tilling
the soil as are needed TO keep up
the supply.
The best thing for the farmer and
everybody else would be TO give those
now living in town the opportunity
TO work at reasonable wages SO they
could buy at remunerative prices all
that the farmer produces. Unemploy-
ment in the city hurts farm business
almost as much as IL does that o.
the manufacturer whose factory is
closed and that Of the merchant whose
goods find no buyers.
If we can keep all the people that
are now in town profitably employ
ed, we shall soon get back to normal
basis. Ne one would attempt TO pic
ture the disarrangement and distress
that would result If we found il neces-
sary to empty in part the city Of its
workingmen and try TO find profit
able employment for them In the
country when the country has all the
help il needs.
II. ]. Waters, in Kansas City Star.