OCR Text |
Show Why More Farm Land When congress meets in December we shall see a renewal of efforts to pass two kinds of legislation which-would appear to an unbiased observer to be intended to defeat each other. One is the proposal to appropriate money for farm relief, with a view to a better handling of surplus farm products. prod-ucts. The other Is the proposal to appropriate money for bringing under cultivation vast areas of additional land through irrigation. The first proprsal, that for farm relief, re-lief, is an eminently worthy one, provided pro-vided some workable plan can be agreed upon which will accomplish the object sought. But if farm relief is supplied with one hand, and additional land is provided by the other, where shall the farmer be benefited in the long run? It seems evident to any thoughtful person that until the consumption of farm products catches up with production produc-tion it would only make matters worse to increase the acreage of cultivated land. On many of the irrigation projects proj-ects already developed by the government govern-ment the settlers have been unable to make a living, and further appropriations appropria-tions have been recommended with a view to aiding them. Even Dr. Elwood Mead, commissioner of reclamation, declared recently that unless such aid were supplied to these farmers it would be unwise to irrigate additional land. As the Nashville Banner recently said, "Certainly this country does not equire any additional farm lands just low, no matter how speculators and promoters may feel." But the speculators will be on hand when congress meets, seeking to secure Tiore appropriations from the public treasury whereby their pet schemes for irrigation may be carried out, so as to create a background for fake real estate booms. And, unless vigorous protest Is made, a "log-rolling" Congress will fall for the plan. |