ADVOCATE AND GUIDE. 73 



of these machines are now the property of the corporation, and the plow- 

 ing record for last summer was more than one acre a minute for the work- 

 ing time. On one day 1,880 acres were turned and broken. It is pro- 

 posed to organize the farm into 5,000-acre units, each with its own group 

 of permanent buildings, modernly equipped and in charge of a compe- 

 tent farm manager. Each farm will be separately managed. Contracts 

 for the leasing of the land on long term agreements have been executed 

 with the government through Secretary Lane. Many acres of similar 

 land exist in practically all of the Pacific Coast states as well as in 

 Colorado, and steps are being taken to open that land to the returning 

 soldiers. No steps have thus far been taken in Montana to invite 

 soldiers to settle on the uncultivated land." 



While nothing should be said or done to discourage food 

 production during the war, yet wheat growers should unionize 

 at once and prepare to put the above kind of wheat raisers 

 out of business as soon as peace is restored. 



There are only two courses to follow : either put them out 

 of competition with you or go out of the wheat growing 

 business yourselves. The small farm operater cannot pos- 

 sibly raise wheat as cheaply as can be done on the above 

 magnitude. This competition is more to be feared than that 

 of Argentine previously referred to. There are only two 

 ways to get rid of it : First, make the wheat growers' union 

 international and limit by law the number of acres one person 

 or company may farm in all countries; or, second, put a 

 protective tariff on wheat and its products and thus elim- 

 inate competition in the home market. 



Herein is a lot of political work for the wheat growers' 

 union to do when organized. It should be international as 

 labor and capital unions are. It should elect its own mem- 

 bers to Legislatures and Congress where possible as they do. 

 Governments should be put out of the wheat raising business 

 or else be compelled to go to producing things wheat growers 

 buy. Only through unionizing can wheat growers have any 

 political power to aid themselves and protect their interests. 

 Wonderful inventions take the place of scores of men in 

 producing things farmers buy, yet their price is higher than 



