The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-05-06


land-owning corporations never
glowing colors, the oceans of go
But it must be understood
that altho Nature has endowed
these wide-fiung plains with a
generous hand, the actual tillers
of the soil are in desperate
plight. Canadian agriculture is
staggering around on crutches;
the actual tillers of the soil are
face to face with bankruptcy.
The Province of Saskatchewan has
become famous as the "breadbasket
of the British Empire" Yet the aver
age half-section farm 1920 acres) of
this province carries debt of five
thousand dollars. In three typical
municipalities $4,000 acres of land
were foreclosed in one year because
of the inability of the farmers to pay
their taxes.
The Burden of Debt.
The province of Manitoba is in no
better plight. Last fall TIA rural
schools were compelled to close their
doors because the tillers of the soil
were unable to pay taxes.
Sunny Alberta likewise tells its tale
Of woe. 1t has been estimated that
the total Indebtedness of this province
is well over -715,0OO,0OO. The prov
ince has tax sales over 10,767 farms
with total acreage in excess of L.
653, 900. Foreclosures for arrears OF
taxes have become so numerous as to
cause the provincial government
cause for apprehension.
Tenant farming is on the increase
and very few farmers actually own
the land they till. Ninety-four percent
of the farms of western Canada are
mortgaged and it has been estimated
that the indebtedness of the farmers
is at least one billion dollars. 1t must
be understood that this is a very con.
sentative estimate.
Farming Does Not Pay.
1t is becoming more and more ap-
parent that farming does not pay from
the viewpoint of the farmer. A bush
ell of wheat requires the expenditure
of at least one dollar. In 1922 the
average price received by the farmers
of Canada was 81 cents, thus making
deficit of 100000 on the total
wheat crop. In 1923 the price
dropped to 81 cents. The crop of this
year was the largest in the history of
the country and the pluto press raved
sabont the approaching prosperity in
the golden west" But the farmer
discovered that the greatest crop in
the history of the country brought
him seventy million dollars less than
I the previous year.
Mortgages are increasing by leaps
and by bounds; and the restitution
of the farmers of this Northwest is
ecoming terrible. They are fast caught
in the mortgage net of finance cap
ital. They are rapidly being reduced
to the level of landless slaves mas.
querading as propertied employers OF
labor.
Their plight is getting worse. The
prices they pay for the commodities
they need is on the increase; whilst
the bottom has dropped out of the
market so far as farm products are
concerned. The gap between the
price of city and the price of farm
products is widening with alarming
rapidity.
The Canadian farmer is face to face
with bankruptcy. Thousands are
leaving the farms and seeking pas
lures new. Despite the frantic efforts
to encourage immigration on a large
scale the number of vacant farms II
steadily increasing.
Farmer Festive.
The farmers are beginning TO show
signs OF revolt.
The milk-and-water policy of class
collaboration so long expounded by
the leaders OF the grain growers (lik'
Crerar Maharg) is being slowly expos
ed The Progressive Party (which IL
the political expression of the organic
ed farmers) swept the west like pra
RE fire. In the last Federal elections
II captured practically every seat wesI
OF the Great Lakes; whilst its expon