The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-08-03

OcoGAIut1O1l 8uO QuStSIOIIlS, EOVcTGy
and rags which has been the portion
Of a great part Of our population,
until the time has come when, as q
governmental representative recently
pointed out. our state Is more Of q
federal dependency than q state. =,
But after all. whose is the fault7
Was mistake not made In the begin
, ming by the government, when 1t Of
fcred homesteads Of a quarter Sec
ton, no larger than Eomesteads In
states where plenty of water was the
one thing that could be depended
Upon? Had the government made
homesteads here one section In size
We would have been much better able
to cope with unfavorable conditions
as would those who came before us
AS 1t Is, the western part Of the state
and good part Of the rest of it, Is
too thickly settled for the country
itself to aSsimilate.
We have little. II any, open range,
and very little hay land left in q good
part Of the state.
So 1t would seem to be the wise
thing to do to move hose farmers
who are trying in vain to farm such
lends to more favorable location
and turn the lands back to their orig
hal state, leaving just settlers enough
to be sure they can make q living
By raising livestock. etc. The tragedy
We are witnessing today. the sacrifice
ing Of thousands Of Our cattle, the
taking away OF the very livelihood OF
our farmers their cnws) plainly
proves the fallacy Of expecting these
lands to produce as lands do where
rain Is taken as q matter Of course,
and not merely something hoped and
prayed for, too often In vain.
True It IS that bankers and others
may strongly. object to any proposed
exodus Of the people. But farmers
have found out to their sorrow that
creditors expect the impossible, that
they pay their debts whether they
have anything to pay with or not, and
too often they have also found their
creditors lacking the very quality OF
human sympathy, a. witness the de-
mand that farmers turn over every
penny the government pays for their
cattle to their creditors, and this in
spite Of the fact that the government
certainly intends portion to belong
t. the farmer. But banks are still de-
manding the Shylock pound OF flesh
and seem to care little 1t the farmers
ard their families starve or not.
Butterflies beside the road have
ever preached contentment to the un-
fortunate toads beneath the harrow
Who can blame the government In
its attitude when We remember that
Thousands Of once wel-to-do farm
ers have been forced upon the re.
LET rolls and the chances are that
before another year passes, thousand
more will have to do likewise.
After Ill, It does seem foolhardy tol
the government to continue supplying
seed and feed year after year fol
farms which fail to even produce thu
seed hack. Il woud seem to be thu
height q absurdity for the severn.
ment TO % even further and loan rev.
e:al thousand dollars to each Of these
: farmers, buying back their farme
and thus forcing them to contlnue
10 meager existence 1T best. when tn
same money could b loaned 70 them
enabling them 70 own their own
homes - far better localities where
crops are considered certain.
We must not think Tor an instant
that ~ have the only low priced