ADVOCATE AND GUIDE, 37 



Mr. Wheat Grower, when you have to pay double price 

 for all you buy, wouldn't it please you to be able to double 

 the price of your wheat? You can do it -by unionizing. 

 Others unionize to double their wages. Why not you? 



Save Mortgaging the Farm. 



The business of wheat raising should be made to pay its 

 own way without having to mortgage the farm for improve- 

 ments or anything the family needs, even to an automobile ; 

 and it would do it if the price was high enough to cover 

 skilled wages and interest on money invested. 



The U. S. census shows a steady increase in number of 

 farms mortgaged, until over one-third of them were mort- 

 gaged in 1910. The big wheat States have the highest per 

 cent of mortgaged farms 48 per cent. There is something 

 radically wrong with a producing business when half the 

 plants will not pay expenses and have to be mortgaged. No 

 wonder people leave such a condition for the city to seek 

 work where wages are better. Shout "Back to the farm" 

 until you are hoarse, but people with good sense who have 

 been there are not going back until conditions are changed 

 for the better. When they can make better wages raising 

 wheat, and get as big interest on investments, and can afford 

 as good living conditions as in cities, they will go back to 

 the farm without coaxing. 



Then the proper thing is to quit shouting "Back to the 

 farm," and make conditions there so profitable and attract- 

 ive people will choose farming to anything else. You wheat 

 raisers who have followed me so far, need not be told again 

 how you can do that to save the necessity of mortgaging 

 the farm, and win back your children who have deserted you. 



But your State and National misrepresentatives will tell 

 you the remedy for farm desertion, tenantry and mortgages 

 is more mortgages. So they consulted the bankers, and to- 

 gether they devised the Federal Farm Loan Act. The 



