Evening star., 1932-06-19

F you could spend two hours with him.
you'd surely conclude that what this
country needs is to squat on its launches
over there in the shade and enjoy whit
tie and talk with Farmer Frank Lowden
Frank Lowden is distinguished tiller
Of the soil from down Illinois way, and also
from over in Arizona. Either address Is good
for he has had crops in both States.
Fact is, he's about the biggest farmer in
America, in many ways, and besides being
Ex-Governor of Illinois, he almost got put
into the White House a few years ago!
For three years Farmer Lowden represented
q rural district in Congress. For four years
he was Illinois Governor. and that State is
fourth in value Of agricultural products. He
has studied farm problems in the United
Safes and in Europe intensely for IS years.
and his own big experimental farm at Ore
gon, Ill, is internationally known.
American farmers pay six billion dollars
for manufactured goods each year." says he.
'They supply one-eghth of the railroad ton
mage and one-half the total value of our
exports.
They comprise nearly 80 per cent of our
total population but they receive less than 10
per cent of the national income and pay 80
per cent of that for taxes! Those are Just
some of the things might mention
Still, We cannot lament a situation and
leave it to right itself. Happiness and prosper
ity won't flourish volunteer crops"
pUT Mr.. Lowdan has learned some good
u tricks about cultivating prosperity and
happiness. Right now he calculates he can
see some big changes coming along for the
farmer, probably for the better and he has
some really startling suggestions to be consid-
cred Here, sit down on this bale of alfalfa
and let's listen
"Ive discovered that city residents really
love the farm, after all. and yearn for it,
(Iies talking casually now from his cottage
porch in Chandler, Ariz) This means they
are sympathetic at heart.
"Its an old story to say that city people
and farmers mutually dependent, but it's
true now more than ever and both groups had
better admit it. In the civilized world it is
only among rural peoples that the birth rate
Is keeping ahead of the death rate of mankind
Hence see that cities must
stantly get new recruits from the farms, where
health conditions are different and the good
life is more attainable. We all recognize, too,
the obvious fact that the country must clothe
and feed the teeming populations in our indus
trial cente-s, indeed, must furnish the very
raw products upon which those industries
thrive
But all that is material. What I'm getting
at is something deeper, something spiritual,
suppose. Something stronger.
uNOU know the myth of Antaeus? No
matter how often he was overthrown,
his strength always miraculously renewed
whenever he touched the earth. That's the
point-human society must persistently keep its
contact with the earth. or it is doomed.
'If we let anything break this contact, well
fall; remember that Hercules discovered the
source of Antaeus' strength and by holding
him aloft, easily achieved a victory over him.
Keep close to the earth, this year and in all the
years to come"
And that's Gov Lowden's philosophy Of the
farm"
One development in American agriculture
which has interested him greatly, especially in
the past three years, has been farm electri-
6cation. This interest doubtless was increased
because of a somewhat startling application
Of electric power to farm life in Arizona
where for nine years he and Mrs. Lowden have
made their Winter home.
There in Maricopa County, where their farm
Is located every major roadway Is threaded
with power lines, carrying inexpensive elec-
tricity to the front gate of every farm home
There the rural housewives have been eman-
cipated by this modern miracle of pressing
button and seeing the milking, the churning,
the cooking, the cooling, the washing, the
sweeping, all silently and efficiently DONE