QUESTIONS ON THE TEXT 13 



institutions above mentioned, especially the banks and railroads, 

 control resources vastly in excess of what they own. They gain 

 thereby an importance and a mobilized economic power which is 

 impressive when compared with the unorganized agricultural 

 industry. It is only fair to state that most of the great " captains 

 of industry," so-called, have used their economic power in a con- 

 structive manner. And this is particularly true of the late J. P. 

 Morgan, whose control and direction of big commercial investments 

 was conspicuously successful and made more money for others 

 than it did for himself. Hence the secret of his power. 



A similar condition exists in Canadian agriculture, a country 

 forming with the United States an economic and ethnic unit. A 

 recent issue of the Grain Growers' Guide of Winnipeg 2 discussed 

 the question, "Who owns Canada?" The conclusion reached was 

 that forty-two men controlled $4,000,000,000 in resources, or more 

 than one-third of Canada's total wealth in railroads, banks, fac- 

 tories, mines, and lands. The railroads had been favored, says 

 this report, with cash giants, $208,072,073; with land grants, 

 56,052,055 acres; and with bond guarantees, $245,070,045. The 

 forty-two men named in the article hold directorships in the 

 following institutions; thirty directorships in financial institu- 

 tions; forty-two directorships in transportation companies; fourteen 

 directorships in insurance companies; and one hundred and 

 eighteen directorships in industrial and other corporations. 



Will Farmers Own the Farm Land? The question suggests 

 itself at this point, will not the ownership of our farm lands even- 

 tually pass largely into the hands of a small group of capitalists, 

 just as we have had concentration of control of our other great 

 industries? There are evidently many tendencies at work making 

 for this very outcome; there are, however, opposing tendencies in 

 operation which must also be taken into consideration. The 

 question is a most serious one, as England and Ireland and other 

 countries have already found out. But the discussion of this prob- 

 lem must be postponed to the chapter dealing with land tenure. 



QUESTIONS ON THE TEXT 



1. State and explain the rank of agriculture among our industries formerly 



and now. 



2. Cite census figures as evidence of this change. 



3. Comment on the increase in value of farm lands. 



4. Compare the great industries as to the number of persons engaged in each. 



5. Compare the great industries as to the amount of capital invested. The 



same for the value of the product. 



2 June 25, 1913. 



