Evening star., 1923-05-06
Need for Loyal Citizenship
Greater Than Need for Labor

Of prices and wages is = nsver-snd-
ing chain pulling expensss up the
hill and incomes down. Increased
wages mean an increase In the cost
Of the OUTPUT. and increased selling
that our workmen and their families
may live dscently. Present labor con-
ditions reveal the startling fact that
both farmers and farm laborers are
growing rapidly fewer. The cost of
mounting as result OF this, and un-
less some remedy can be found to
help tho American farmer do what /
am sure he gladly would do X he
| less. the situation will continue to
grow more and more acute. probably
reaching the point ultimately where
dire necessity will drive men back TO
the farm.
To my mind too much attention
has been paid IN the past to tho
mental qualifications, educational ad-
vantages and financial condition Of
| the man permitted to enter this coun-
| try, AMI too little attenricn has been
paid to his standing at homo with
reference to law and order. In
| sufficient inquiry as to his ideas Of
government has been made The
| process OF Americanization for the
! future should be begun upon the
other side Of the water. Men do not
gather grapes Of thorns nor figs from
| thistles. Before they are permits I'd
| to enter the United States definite
knowledge that they have that turn
Of mind which Will induce them to
become good American citizens, obe-
| dent to the law, should be estao-
| lished.
Thousands OF good Hungarian and
Bohemian farmers have been suffered
by this government to be diverted
from their life's training into the con-
gested industrial centers. None or US,
OF course, Is opposed to successful
business, even though it is big. but
many of US still look upon the farmer
! as the one man in all time VINO mas
| ever really produced anything. Oth-
! ers may have added q market value
| farmer alone produces something
new. Therefore he is entitled TO con-
sideration by his government and
deserves something more valuable
than an opportunity to borrow money
at a high rate Of interest One OF
the best things that could come to
| him would be an abundance OF farm
| labor at reasonable price. The
| farmer IL not only the mainsprin8.
| but the balance wheel OF the repub-
1
and as he looks at the harmony Of
nature his instincts are for peace
| among men. From Lexington to this
good year 1928 the embattled farme r
! has been the first line Of defense OF
! the American republic ] know of no
| process Of AmericaniZation that would
; be quite SO helpful TO a foreigner as
sitting him down in tenant house
! upon some farm in America. makln g
| him the daily companion OF Il good
I II t,1rr hi
| as lie soaked in the sunshine to alb
sorb the vital principles Of our gov
ernment.
| am worrying not at all about big
| business; It will take care OF itself.
II it has to pay too much for labor
It will pass on the increased cost.
It will have energy enough to
| obtain a hearing for its cause in
! the halls of Congress. II necessity
| demands 1t will succeed in lower
| ing the immigration bars. The farm
! situation is different, yet I know
| that in the madness OF Europe there
! are thousands Of farmers who long
! for the comparative peace of America.
! Properly selected in accordance with
/ their views Of government. these
might we'll be permitted to enter this
/ country upon condition that they
| would go upon farm and remain for
! a period of years. In this way we
/ could measurably make up for the
| movement from the farm to the city,
procure agricultural labor at a rea-
sonable price, assist somewhat In
leesening the cost Of fodstuffs and at
| the same time instruct the new ar
| rivals along the lines of thought
! which mark the average man.
(Copyrighted, 1923. list Century Press.)