PAGE Mb
350.000.000
ACRES OF FARM
LANDS ARE IDLE TOTHERUSSIANS
While People Are Plowing Up Lawns
for Gardens, Speculators Are Hold
ing Almost Half of Agricultural
Land Unimproved to Reap Un
earned Increment Congress Acts.
(By GIlHon Gardner, Washington Corro
BPuniUmt.) WASHINGTON," June 14. There
are approximately 350,000,000 acres
of Idle land In United States farms,
according to latest census figures,
,hose taken In 1910.
Less than three-fifths of the land
in farms Is Improved. In 1910 a
little over half the land In farms In
the United States was improved
478,451,750 acres out of a total of
878,798,325 acres.
This is how private ownership of
land for speculative purposes results
in lan dbeing held out of use.
fiet Land Into Use.
It is one cause of present high
prices of foodstuffs and the difficulty
of raising enough food to meet the
needs of the nations warring to put
down German autocracy.
How to get this land into use Is
one of the government's war prob
lems. There is no use plowing up
lawns ana renins courts wnen nair the
host farm lands are untillod.
Why not tax them into use?
This thought occurred to some
members of congress looking for ways
to raise war revenue. The specula
tive value of unused land is a fine un
tapped source of revenue, and the ef
fect or such taxes, unlike taxes on in
dustry and improvements, would be
tjf stimulate production rather than
Discourage it.
More food would be ralsod, the
farmer would get bolter prices, be
cause the speculator would get less in
rent and holding price and the con
sumer would get food cheaper.
Committee nt Worl
All this has been urged on the sen
ate finance committee which is mull
ing over the revenue act. A comnilt-
tee has'been formed to help work out
the food and land problem with Chas.
H. Ingersoll (of watch fame) at its
head and containing such men as
Frederick C. Howe, immigration com
missioner; John J. Hopper of New
York: Stiles P. Jones, Minnesota; Lu
cius P. C. Garvin, ex-governor, Rhode
Island; J. J. Pastorlza, Texas; C. B.
Kegloy, Washington state.
It Is urged that a tax of this char
acter woum produce large revenue
and cheapen necessities and tend to
check the tendency of farm lands to
drift into monopoly. Nineteen per
cent of the farm land in the United
States, about 170,000,000 acres, was
i'P 1910 in tracts of a thousand acres
flr over and 9 per cent was In tracts
of 500 to 999 acres, about 85,000,000
acres, a total of approximately 255,
000,000 acres.
Kept Out of Use.
The United States commission on
Industrial relations reported:
"More than four-fifths of the area
of the large holding Is being kept
out of actual use by their 50,000 own.
nrs while 2,250,000 farmsr are strug
gling for a bare existence on farms of
less than 50 acres."
All of which results In high rents
as well as high-priced land. In 1916
tho department of agriculture report
ed the average value per acre of farm
lands, exclusive of improvements, was
in north Atlantic states J36.71; In
Bouth Atlantic stales $23.79; In north
.entrnl enpt of the Mlsslsslnnl $74.95
north central, west of the Mississippi,
$59.68; south central, $24.09; and
far western, $58.40; for the United
States as a whole, $45.55.
- By the same authority It is estl
muted tho average value of a farm
with Its land and buildings alone is
$7,121. 1
Public Land I'selcss.
It Is true there are nearly 2S0.000,
000 acres of free public land, but most
of it Is arid or rocky, not available for
farming without outlay of large capi
tal. 1'lve ncr cent charged as ground
rent for farm land of the United
States at present census value would
amount to $2.1 05.000.ono.
The nresent tax rale on land value
does not average over 1 '.i per ccn
including tax levied by direct tax,
state and local, and amounts to only
about $423,000,000 a year.
War taxes this year will approxi
mate $23 per capita or $150 for a
family of six, while in many states lo
cal Income tax will make the Individ
ual burden greater.
So long as capital can find refuge
in land Investment whit a prospect of
doubling the Investment every ten
years wealth Is escaping Its share of
the war burden and all forms of pro
ductlvo activity are being discour
KEEP FIGHTING
SHAW S ADVICE
Bernard Shaw, World's Foremost So
cialist, Maintains That Russian
Radicals Should Prosecute War
With Vigor "America's Entry
Strengthens Their Hands."
HY KENNETH W. PAYNE.
LONDON, June 14. "If I were to
give my advice to the Russian i evo
lutionists it would be to keep the war
going nt all costs! Ami if peace
soon brings nn end to this wiir I would
tell thorn to sstr.rt I'.iso'.hs: war Hy lit
away!"
Thus spoke George Bernard Shaw
in nn interview today.
The Hussion socialists have repeat
edly indicated their desire to work
for pence at the curliest moment pos
sible without indemnities or annex
ations. Rut Shaw, the world's grcnt
est socialist thinker, tells them in
1 V?
''yr
iLJsJP1' I mill
stead to keep on fighting if llioy
know what's goud for them.
"A nation like the Vnitcd Slates
hold together in time of peace,'' he
said today, '.Iwcuusc its constitu
tion is a going thing, liiissin in revo
lution luis rthrown ove the restraint
of long established government, in
pence now Russia would probablv
fly apart. Continued carrying on of
I lie wnr is the link to hold her to
gether. "The man' in Hie street hardly real
izes (he position of the successful
revolutionists. They arc men from
modest walks of life who are suddenly
thrown into positions of unlimited
power. They have not the restraint
of past experience, and all around
thci'i are tempting opportunities for
grafl.
"To hold their position nnd oppor.
t mi it ics, they have to struggle ng.iiv.Nt
new 'groups rising from the populace
nnd seeking conlrol. Some one of
these uroups proves stronger than Ihc
existing. government, and so we hi vc
the spectacle of successive groups
coming to th top, forming new gov
ernments,, and then hnvimr their Iieii'ls
lopuj-d oft io make way for still other
gox c'linicnts. x
"That is what happened in the
French reve!':lioi:. TI:at is what we
'night call the usual course of revolu
tion. "Hut Russia, has a nice war -villi
liussia conveniently on her hauls.
Let the war keep up, and the Russi.in
people feel that 'unless they go on
resisting, the Germans are going to
& chm:le
ah? - j:
7H B!(j BUSINESS-MANS GUM
And here's a little bit of advice
you. Alwavs carrv a
packages of Adams Pepsin Gum
and chew it often. It will keep
your stomach in perfect trim
and will help you keep a cool
head in the thick of battle. Your
job will be here, when you come
back, Jack.
Cooling 'Peppermint Flavor
come over, devastate their fichLs, burn
Iheir homes, rnvish their women; llicn
you will have the usual chaos of
revolution somewhat ehecked hv the
necessity of keeping up a central an.
Hmrity slronge Hough to wage Ihc war
successfully.
"Hut if the Russian socialists now
Mid Ihc war outside their borders,
fhey will simply he throwing open
the door to war within I heir hol ders.
Of course it suits us over here for
Ihcni to keep the war going, hut it is
their own interest as well."
The effect of the Russian revolution
on America's entrance into the war
has been widely discussed. Shaw
in his interview today pointed out
Unit America's action had in turn ef
fected the Russian revolution.
"During the French revolution there
came a time when the people might
have taken the bourbons buck on the
throne if the bourbons hadn't been
too stpuid to accept the changes
brought by tho revolution, such as
the land distribution," he said. "To
day we would sec the reactionaries
of Europe trying to put the Roman
offs back on the throne of Russia,
if it weren't for the fact lliat Ameri
ca has strengthened the hands of
the revolutionary leaders, by com
ing into the war on the .side of the
allies with insistence on the principle!
of democracy."
Mr. and Mrs. J. N. Dillstrom return
ed to Yreka Thursday morning. They
have been visiting with relatives at
Applegate.
. VkratfT
AMZRICAIH Ci!i:!.E COMPANY
- tita
9 S I M
E
A beautiful young woman, gowned
in deep black, sobbing ns If her heart
were broken, and leaning heavily on
the arms of her husband and a friend
arrived on train No. 13 from Portland
Thursday morning. Tho young wo
man was Mrs. V. C. Burtlott, who for
merly was Miss Zeptha Basye, of
Jacksonville, a daughter of tho re
spected pioneer, Charles 11. Dasyo,
county Jailer, who died shortly after
the infliction with a clothes ironer, of
a half score ghastly Head wounds nt
tho hands of .1. L. Hngsdalo, a pris
oner, Tuesday afternoon, llagsdalo
committed sulcldo aftorbelng sur
rounded by sheriff's deputies and I
company guardsmen, dying about the
same hour as his victim.
Arrangements for Dnsye's funeral,
as announced In Wednesday's Mall
Tribune, will stand. After brief ox
erclses in Perl's chapel at noon Sun
day, tho burial will bo at Missouri
Flat cemetery at 2 o'clock, with serv
ices at tho grave. The arrangements
are under direction of the Odd Fel
lows. Ttagsdale will he burled at 10
o'clock in the I. O. O. F. cemetery,
Medford.
few
Is
THE UNIVERSAL CAR
The most dosirablo features of mo
tor enr construction are found in Ford
cars. They arc strong with the
strength of vanadium steel, heat
treated by Ford methods. Excess
weight is eliminated by strength, and
allows the Ford more power for its
weight than any other car. Back of
the cilr is the organization which has
built and sold over two million Ford
cars. The Ford saves time is a sure
money-maker. Touring Qtxr $3G0;
Runabout $345; Sedan $G45; Town
Car $595; Coupelet $505 all f. o. b.
Detroit. On display and for sale by
C. E. Gates" Auto Co.!
Studebaker Runabout
A BARGAIN
In good ordor. Cost $1025.00. Fully equipped, self-starter, electric
lights, ono now tiro with pntent wire Bafoty tread. Cash, $350.00'.
Reason for sale, ownor leaving city. Box 1125, Medford Post office,
or telcphono F. II. Cowles, 127 Central Point. I .
AT THE OLD STAND
I have returod to Medford and will be found at.
the old stand on South Riverside, where I will con-,
tinue to do expert horseshoeing and all kinds of
blacksmithing.
Tom Merriman, Proprietor
Ashland and Medford
Choral Societies
including 150 Singers
and Musicians
in a joint
CONCERT PROGRAM
at the
Page Theatre - - - June 15
Prices 35c, 50c and 75c
Association
Labor Bureau
All laborers desiring orchard
work should register at once
at the office of the Rogue
River Fruit & Produce Asso
ciation, West Main street.
No charge to the laborer
for securing position
A. S. V. CARPENTER, ;'
Labor Manager.
aged.