The Monroe journal., 1922-12-26
FARMING CONDITIONS
IN FRANCE DEPL0RABLE
Since the Farm Furnishes the Wealth
Of Nations Conditions Should
be Improved
By Noyus Homo

The newspapers report Ceploratle
conditions among the farming popu-
lation in France. The alarming fea-
ture seems TO be the tendency OF the
farm workers 10 desert the fields and
drift to the cities where more remu-
nerative employment may be had.
Thus we see that farm life is dis
tasteful. not only in the United States
but in other parts of the world as
well. The reasons assigned for the
condition in France are also the same
as the reasons assigned for the de-
sertion of farm life in our country.
In view of the fact that France has
been boasting for years Of doing so
much for her farmers in the way of
low interest rates on money loaned
them and of exceptionally liberal pro-
vision for governmental aid in the
purchase of homes, we cannot but ask
the question, what is the reason for
French farmers leaving their homes
and taking up life in the city?
The answer has been givn re-
peatedly in the past and will doubt
less be given repeatedly in the fu-
ture, and if we judge correctly, this
answer is going to receive more con-
sideration in the very near future
than its enemies ever dreamed of its
receiving in their day.
The fact that France has thorough
~ tried out the plan of hiring men
to stay on the farms and produce
commodities for others TO revel in
the luxury of, while they themselves
exc out a miserable existence and this
hiring plan has proved fiat failure,
is sufficient reason for our politicians
here in the United States to abandon
their campaign of propaganda for
this same measure.
Ii is reported from Paris. Dec. 4,
1922, that zone tenth of the farms
of France are for SALE" and the cry
was recently raised in the French
chamber of deputies that France it.
self is for SALE" and when men who
have drifted into the cities apply to
the employment bureaus for work, il
is attempted by said bureaus to pur-
suade these men to 90 back to the
land and help save France.
This same article also states that
the loss of SO many of the peasantry
in the war is the leading cause of so
many depleted farm homes; that
great many women whose husbands
and sons were slain on battlefields
prefer to sell out rather than to
struggle with the difficult problem of
working a farm.
Farm Furnishes Wealth of Nations
This shows us where the cannon
fodder" comes from and also where
the country's support rests. 1t shows
US that the farm furnishes the
wealth of the nation in peace times.
and the defenders of the country in
war times.
The recognition of the pertinent
truth that agriculture is the great
basic foundation for all prosperity
and that absolute ruin stareS every
nation and every civilization in the
face when this vital principle is long
ignored is being brought home to us
in such a manner as to drive the fact
so deep into our social structure as
to forever prevent the ignoring of it
in any future period.
1t is evident that we have made
too great sacrifice to the god of
bus ness. We have encouraged men
to do everything except produce the
essentials of prosperity and in moth
ing is this seen with such vividness
as IN the speculating in community
creations in land values.
The young man who starts out in
life with five thousand dollars and
invests this sum in farm lands builds
him home, prepares the land to pro-
duce crops and uses his energies for
a period Of forty years in the capac-
ity of farmer, may succeed in coax
ing living from his investment of
capital and continuous labor, provid-
ed he is of more than average abil ~
in the profession and has not many
reverses, otherwise he stands about
three to one chance of dying bank
rupt and having the home sold from
under his children TO satisfy waiting
creditors.
Another young man who may have
begun life about the same time and
with the same amount of capital in
vested in idle lands held for specula-
tive purposes, buying, selling and re-
selling, never doing one stroke of
usful work, or bringing into being
one particle of any essential commod-
ity, often enrolls in the millionaire
class and gets prominently mem
toned at every opportunity as one
Of the eommun.ty's most worthy CD
ctizens and community builders.
Thus we see when the draft on
production becomes greater than the
whole of produce can supply, because
we have encouraged everything ex-
cept the supplying of the products,
then II is that men begin to wonder
what the trouble is and begin to
growl al some one because his pound
of flesh isn't where he looks for il,
when he thinks il should be there.
What we need to do now is TO
encourage the production of actual
commodities by making it at least as
profitable to produce these as il has
heretofore been to prevent their pro-
duction. Then with plenty of the
products of actual wealth in exist
ence there will be business just as
naturally as water runs.
In other words we need in this
mater, as in several other matters, to
see that effect is the result of cause
and not wise versa. That Is we want
to recognize the fact that wealth be-
gets business, and not that business
| hprats wealth