Evening star., 1933-08-18

Promise Of future population changes
is believed by some Americans to be
involved in the allotment of S25, 900 900
from Federal funds to aid subsistence
farming near the cities of the country.
A substantial back to the farm" move
ment is reported under way. and with
the momentum to be impaired by the
funds provided, it is predicted by some
observers that a permanent condition
will be developed. 1t is believed to
offer safe auxiliary support for some
industrial or business workers.
of specialization in farming thinks
the Dayton Daily News, there will un-
doubtedly be more and more OF
mechanization there will be here more,
there less. And there will always be
the fundamental difference between the
farmer who farms as business and the
farmer who farms as an artist. The
suburban farmer who thinks of his
acres primarily as a home will be one
thing: the ranchman on his far-fiung
empire of bloOded cattle and sheep will
be another Some natures will be
served by one situation. other natures
by the other In the history of human
nature there is plenty of evidence that
the plans of the President for COM
bination CT rural and industrial advan-
numbers of people Are not the roomy
surburbs to which the wealthy of the
cities have fled a sufficient witness to
that?"
Theoretically. it seems to be the sort
of population readjustment that will in
crease self-support and develop better
citizenship" according to the Santa
Monica Evening outlook, which holds
that the possibilities in the proposal
are great" and offers the suggestions
"A better distribution OF population
with regard to employment is highly
desirable. and may well be regarded as
an essential feature Of national eco
nomic planning. If, through the COM
ing years. industries might be trans
planted from teeming cities to suburbs
or country cities, the human bene-
fit in terms of a better living and
greater individual lself-dependence would
be incalculable"
1t is pointed out by the Youngstown
Vindicator that The Bureau of Reclama-
ton of the Department Of the Interior
has been providing homes for unem-
plCyed for years. but its activity has
been confined to arid regions in the
Wes " Of the present movement, the
Vindicator offers the Endorsement:
The fact that this work has demon
strated that such movement as sub
sistence farming can be made self
financing gives added interest to the
administrations plan of combining the
farm and factory systems. 1t is not
back to the farm movement that is pro-
posed. but a rural home movement as
security against industrial risks"
The movement is Cne of the most
attractive features of the domestic re-
covery program" declares the Cleveland
Plain Dealer. That paper suggests that
1T will not be easy to restrict agricul-
tural production and to increase agrl-
cultural population at the same time
but offers the prediction: In the be-
ginning it is expected the new farm
population will be located on small
farms and will engage primarily in
raising food and vegetable products for
it's own consumption. In due time per-
hans bountiful harvests will again be
a boon instead of bane and in that
event the new agricultural population
will no longer be looked upon as an
enemy by the old"
The Government is taking on big
lob to turn thousands of urban families
back to the farms" in the opinion OF
the Topeka Daily Capital, "but it is a
worthwhile project just the same, and
much good can be accomplished for
future years" The Oshkosh Daily
Northwestern looks forward to farm
ing on some of the unimproved and
uncleared land in Northern Wisconsin, y
and advises as to future treatment Of
the matter in that State: There is a
large amount of such land, much of 1t
having reverted to the State on account
of unpaid taxes. Net little of it
would be suitable for farming If
properly cleared, planted and cultivated.
The State could well afford to be pretty
lenient with seklers on this land, help
ing them to clear it and eliminating all