Page 4 of 29 Mar 1917 Issue of Des Moines Iowa Homestead in Des-Moines, Iowa

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Des Moines Iowa Homestead (Newspaper) - March 29, 1917, Des Moines, Iowa 628 the Homestead i Farmer fruit grower. Poultry Man Gardener and housekeeper by James m. Pierce James Atkinson. Editor in chief a established in s855 entered at Des Moines Post office As second class matter published every thursday the Iowa Homestead March 29, 1917 member agricultural publishers association. Member audit Bureau of circulations. Single 1.00 a year. In clubs of ten 75 cents a year n copy to getter up of club. In clubs More. 25 cents a year. Single subscription three years in Advance five years in Advance ten years in Advance. S5.00. Subscription Price in Canada 31.50 a year. Re Mit by draft registered letter Post office or sex Ordor in changing address Send Down the old and new addresses. In renewing i same name and initials As before or state open the old and new names and explain Why you change. In Case of errors or failure to receive the week8 promptly notify the Publ liner. Address the Homestead company Des Moines. Chances for constructive Road legis lation. In the sober second thoughts that come when personalities Are forgotten and Only principles loom Large a majority of the members of the thirty seventh general Assembly of Iowa without regard to factional alignment Are going to regret that something constructive has not been done in the Way of Highway legislation. If there were any Issue that was uppermost in the last state Campaign it was the Road question. If the voice of the people spoke for anything if the unprecedented majority which the present administration received had any significance it was that there should be a change in present Road legislation and practices. Both party platforms spoke to the Point on it. Both candidates made it a subject of daily discussion. The press of the state treated it As a Paramount Issue which the fake wet and dry Issue could not Down. In the House of representatives the Elwood Mackie Shortess Larson and the administration Road Bills representing the views of All factions each of which went to defeat by a tie vote All recognized the need for change in our present system. The differences were ones of the general proposition that changes should be made. A few weeks the members of the thirty seventh general Assembly Are going Back Home to face their constituents and if the Iowa Homestead senses the situation there is a grow ing feeling among men of varying shades of opinion that something constructive should be done before that time comes. But the period for accomplishing anything is Short and time is fleeting. Whatever is done must be done quickly in a spirit of Compromise by accepting the mate rials at hand and harmonizing differences of opinion on them. In the judgment of the Iowa Home Stead there Are two Road Bills now be Tore the legislature which should pass. One of them is Senate pile 538, by senator d. C. Chase of Hamilton county and the other is Senate pile 21, by senator j. W. Foster of Guthrie county. The latter has passed the Senate with but one dissenting vote and is now before the House roads commit tee. It establishes a Road patrol sys tem such As is already in successful operation in several counties in Iowa. It provides that boards of supervisors shall hire patrolmen to give All their time from the opening of the Road working season in the Spring to its close in the tall to patrolling such sections of roads As shall be assigned them. It is their duty to see that the roads Are dragged after each rain and at such other times necessary that Loose stones and father obstacles in the Roadway Are removed that depressions filled bumps levelled drains kept open and All other things done that shall make for the Best dirt roads possible. The compensation of the patrolmen is left to the boards of supervisors. In Clayton and Jefferson counties j the patrol system has already j been adopted the Cost per mile for dragging has been As Low As and respectively. The following is the Cost per mile for a few other Typ ical Iowa counties which do not have the Road patrol system Guthrie Lucas Madison 107.50 Johnson Jones 118.50 Jasper. 8610 Jackson 132.50 Henry .70.00 As a measure of Economy As a Means of making the Best of what we have m the Way of better dirt roads with out assuming the Burden of increased taxes for hard surfacing through Bond issues and As an All around sensible and business like proposition senator Foster s Road patrol Bill deserves to go on the statute books As a real contribution to Highway Progress in Iowa. Senator Chase s Bill is equally de serving of passage by both houses though Defeated in the Senate by a vote of 19 to 28 the other Day. Two of those voting against it have filed a motion for reconsideration and others who failed to vote for it have indicated a willingness to do so when it is called up again. A change of five votes is All that is necessary to secure its passage and the five votes should not be lacking. The Chase Bill which is merely an amendment to our present Law eliminates the possibility of some of the criticisms that were directed against the Pitt Johnson Bill by the opposition but it provides for changes in the High Way commission which a majority of the voters of Iowa and probably of the thirty seventh general Assembly a i prove. Instead of a single Highway com missioner appointed for Only two years senator Chase has provided for three Highway commissioners As at present two of them being the Deans of the state engineering schools at Ames and Iowa City and the other being a practical Road Engineer appointed for a term of six years and to confirmation by the Senate. In this Way senator Chase avoids the weakness of the present system in i having two Lay members who cannot j possibly be More than a Mere Echo of the state Engineer on All the tech Nical questions of Highway and Bridge construction. At the same time by making the appointive member hold office for six years the Chase Bill eliminates any fear of that official be coring a political Issue in each curing state Campaign. Senator Chase has also provided that the Highway department should be located at the seat of government where other departments Are located instead of at Ames. We believe that this is right and proper and for the Good of the Iowa state College which is being dragged into the Whirlpool of politics by the present Law. No matter whether or not the things which have been charged against the present sys tem Are True the fact that a Large number of the people of Iowa believe them to be True is sufficient reason for the change in our judgment. State educational institutions should be above any suspicion of being concerned in politics and if they Are not they will inevitably suffer from one Side or the other. It is a condition not a theory which confronts us in this matter and we might As Well face the facts frankly. The retention on the commission of the Dean of the Engi Neering school at Ames and the avoid Ance of discrimination towards another state institution by adding the Dean of the engineering school at Iowa City should go far towards placating those who have held different views. Here then Are two Road Bills introduced in the Senate by men commonly regarded As being on opposite sides of the question which offer the basis for a fair Compromise. They would be two pieces of constructive legislation for members of the Assembly to Point to with Pride when they return Home As justification for the High Hopes and great expectations with which the peo ple of Iowa elected them. One of them was passed almost unanimously by the Senate and the other at first Defeated by a narrow margin is Likely to pass on reconsideration. The Iowa Homestead believes that senator Chase and senator Foster Are big enough and Broad enough to accept any amendments in matters of detail that May suggest themselves As improvements on further consideration but in their general outlines these two measures Are built on the lines of Highway Economy and efficiency and would mean better roads for Iowa. Above everything else they would take this Road question with its end less bickering and misunderstandings and distracting discussions out of politics for the next two years at least As certainly will not be the Case if the present legislature returns to the peo ple with nothing accomplished. In suggesting them As a basis for fair Compromise the Iowa Homestead is expressing Only its own views. This article has been written without consulting with a single member or representative of any political faction. It is offered in the sincere Hope that it May pave the Way to an Earnest Effort on the part of All factions in the legis lature to unite in accomplishing some thing Worth while in the few remain ing weeks of this strenuous session. If by burying personal feelings for the time by conceding a Little to the other Man s views by yielding a Little Here or there not on matters of Prin Ciple but on details of policy and sex the thirty seventh general Assembly can pass the Chase and Fos Ter Bills it will make a real contribution to Road Progress in Iowa and work for Harmony and Mutual understanding where now there is discord and misunderstanding that will mean political chaos in Iowa for two More years if continued. Why not forget personal differences in the Light of the larger Best interests of the people of Iowa kills quack grass while growing Corn. Destroying perennial weeds like quack grass Canada Thistle or morn ing glory frequently requires the giving up of the use of the land for a whole season. The Homestead has frequently called attention to the fact that Good headway May be made against these pests by starting the cultivators Early in the Spring and keeping the soil clean until about the 1st of july. At that time it is advised that a smother crop like Cane or Millet be used. Previous cultivation has weakened the roots so that they can Only Send up swindling leaves and the smother crops in most instances strangle these. Recently the Iowa agricultural col lege called attention to a Case where a 200-acre farm badly infested with quack grass has been freed from the pest while a crop of Corn was being produced every year. The owner of this farm or. Erick Bowman in out lining the system that he used Points put that ground must be Well drained if you Are to succeed in freeing it of quack grass after it has become once infested. He prefers Spring blowing and deep blowing at that so As to turn the grass under thereby bring ing about a condition that will require a longer time for the new plants to reach the surface. The plow is Fol Lowed by the disk and the surface is Given a thorough cutting up. The disk is followed by the Harrow and then the Corn is planted. Just As soon As the Corn begins to come through the cultivator is started and the tender quack grass leaves Are there and then destroyed. The drag is then used to smooth the surface and usually about three Days after dragging the cultivator is started. Keep up cultivation until the rows Are thoroughly shaded and very few of the plants will show up during the late summer and fall. Or. Bowman Calls attention to the fact that it will require about three years of this kind of treatment to absolutely rid the Laud Kcf these pests. Some plants will appear near the Corn Hills and will not be uprooted by the cultivator shovels and these Are the ones that tend to invigorate the Root system and carry it Over to the next year. If War should come president Wilson has called con Gress to meet in extraordinary session on april 2d. One of the first things to be done will be to declare in All probability that a state of War exists Between the United states and Ger Many. The coming session of con Gress promises to be historic. The Iowa Homestead proposes to report the happenings of the nation and world without prejudice in its department known As current events Farmers who wish to find out in a few words what is going on in the nation and world cannot afford to miss this weekly review of the news. If War should come the weekly news re View will be of More importance than Ever. Those whose subscriptions to the Iowa Homestead have recently expired and those whose subscriptions will shortly expire should lose no time in renewing so As to keep abreast of current happenings As Well As to have the Host of practical farm advice and information which every Issue the Iowa Homestead contains. So take our advice renew your subscriptions promptly and secure As Many new subscribers for us As you can. We shall report the news of the world impartially and continue to make the Iowa Homestead like most practical and dependable farm paper published. The farm. On conditions on farm and factory can hardly be compared when we under take to discuss length of working Day. In certain kinds of factory work forms of machinery Are used that set the Pace for the Workman and it can by determined definitely just How much he will accomplish in an eight or nine hour Day. His efficiency is not interfered with by climatic conditions and All labor May be performed under the supervision of a skilled superintendent. When we turn to the farm we find All these conditions reversed. Thera Are a great Many factors that tend to regulate the amount of time required to perform any particular task. Take for example the matter of putting up Hay. Ordinarily a Force of four men with proper equipment could Clear a ten acre Field in a Day but let their work be intercepted by rain storms and it May require a considerable part of several Days to handle the same Hay. The same Rule applied to nearly All farm tasks would be found to work in the same Way thus making it exceedingly difficult to standardize the work and place it on what might be called a factory basis. The individual who is not willing to put in a few extra licks at certain sea sons of the year will sooner or later face financial disaster and where dependence is placed upon hired help it must be understood in Advance that irregular hours constitute part of the Farmer s regime. While this is True there is no Rea son Why we cannot systematize farm work to some extent so As to remove from it the element of Drudgery that has in some instances been associated with it in the past. We believe that on the whole farm labor can be done just As efficiently on a Shorter Day basis As it was done in the past and this will to some extent liberate every member of the family and particularly those who Are engaged in housework. We can Well remember the time when it was the common custom to put in a full Day in the Field then do All the Choring and after that would come the evening meal at about 8 or 8-30 o clock. This meant labor for the housewife extending Well into the Naglit and when it continued Day after Day and week after week it meant a unending and irksome grind. It is this condition that must be relieved and fortunately is rapidly being via Ted. Is accomplished by having a definite quitting time in the Ordi nary Field work such As that involved in the preparation of the soil for crops and the cultivation of the same horses will do a full Day s work in nine and one half or ten hours in the Field and by a hitching at a definite time and by serving the evening meal just As soon As the Field work is finished for the Day those in charge of the will find some Leisure time during the evening. We have in remd one instance where a Section of land is Farmed most successfully Aud the horses Are a hitched in the fiend every Day at p. Two individuals on this farm have charge of the live Stock and when they carry on Field work they make it a Point to in hitch at 4 p. M., and there is never any Choring on that farm after during those Rush periods of haying and Harvest when the system cannot be carried out with out great loss. We believe that it would be a Good thing to aim at the Shorter Day. Thero is just so much efficient service in any individual and if he performs

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