The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-02-08

The whole rural world Is In a fer.
ment Of unrest, and there is an I'M
paralloled volume and intensity Of de-
termined, If not angry, protest, and an
ominous swarming Of occupational con-
ferences, interest groupings, political
movements and propaganda. Such a
turmoil cannot but arrest our atten.
ton. Indeed, 1t demands our careful
/ study and examination. 1t Is not like
~ that six million aloof and ruggedly
Independent men have come together
: and banded themselves into active
+, unions, societies, farm bureaus. and so
forth, for no sufficient cause.
Investigation Of the subject conclu
sively proves that. while there Is much
overstatement Of grievances and mis-
conception Of remedies, the farmers
are right in complaining Of wrongs
long endured, and right In holding that
It Is feasible to relieve their Ills with
benefit to the rest Of the community.
This being the case Of an industry
that contributes, in the raw material
form alone, about one-third of the ma.
e-<'tiOnal annual wealth production and
Is the means Of livelihood Of about 40
per cent of the population, It is OBJ
vlous that the subject is one Of grave
concern Not only do the farmers
make up one-half of the nation, but
the well-being Of the other half de-
ponds upon them.
sry1co
POLITICAL economy will aim at large
degree Of national self-sufficiency and
self-containment. Rome fell when the
food supply was too far removed from
the BELLY Like her. we shall destroy
our own agriculture and extend our
sources of food dlstantly and precarl.
ously, If we do not see to 1t that our
farmers are well and fairly paid for
their services. The farm gives the
nation men as well as food. Cities
derive their vitality and are forever
renewed from the country, but an i'm.
poverished countryside exports intelli-
gence and retains unintelligence.
Only the lower grades of mentality
and character will remain on, or seek,
the farm, unless agriculture Is capable
of being pursued with contentment and
adequate compensation. Hence, to EN-.
bitter and impoverish the farmer Is to
dry up and contaminate the vital
sources of the nation.
The war showed convincingly how
dependent the nation Is on the full
productivity Of the farms. Despite
herculean efforts, agricultural produc-
ton kept only few weeks or months
ahead of consumption, and that only
by increasing the acreage of certain
staple crops at the cost of reducing
that of others. We ought not to for.
get that lesson when we ponder on
the farmers problems. They are truly
common problems, and there should
be no attempt to deal with them as
If they were purely selfish demands
OF clear-cut group, antagonlstic to
the rest Of the community Rather
should we consider agriculture in the
light Of broad national policy. just
as we consider oil, coal, steel, dye
stuffs, and so forth, as sinews of M
tional strength Our growing popua-
ton and a higher standard of living
demand increasing food supplies, and
more wool, cotton, hides, and the rest
With the disappearance of free on
cheap fertile land, additional acreage
and increased yields can come only
from costly effort. This we need not
expect from an impoverished or un
happy rural population
1t will not do to take narrow view
Of the rural discomfort, or to appraise
It from the standpoint of yesterday
This Is peculiarly an age of fux and
hon nd IrnI
thing always has been 50 no longer
means that 1t Is righteous, or always
shall be So More. perhaps. than ever
before, there Is widespread feeling
that all human relations can be i'm
proved by taking thought. and that II
Is not becoming for the reasoning AMI
NAL to leave his destiny largely to
chance and natural Incidence.
Prudent and orderly adjustment OF
production and distribution in accord
ance with consumption Is recognized
as wise management in every business
but that OF farming, Yet, | venture
to say, there Is no other industry In
which II Is so important to the pub
lc-to the clty-dweller-that produc
ton should be sure, steady, and In
creaslng, and that distribution should
be in proportion TO the need The I'm
organized farmers naturally act blind
" and impulsivey and, In conse
Quence, surfet and tlearth. accompa
MED by dlsconcerting prlce-variatlons
harass the consumer One year pot4l
toes rot In the fields because of excess
production and there Is II scarcity OF
the things that have been displaced
to make way for the expansion Of ,he
pOtNtn acreage; next year the punish
ell farmers mass their fields on some
other crop, and potatoes enter the
class Of Injuries; and so on
Agriculture Is the greatest and fun
damentally the most important Of our
American Industries. The cities are
but the branches of the tree of na