Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 May 1917 — MILLIONAIRE BARNACLES. [ARTICLE]

MILLIONAIRE BARNACLES.

The President, the press, and well informed people, generally are

generally appealing. to every citizen to do his utmost to increase

the production of foodstuffs so vitally needed to win tho war with Germany. Without a tremendous increase in production we can' not win. If we do not Win we will be practically annihilated, • stripped of our wealth by the kaiser, and reduced to ultimate servitude. In the cities .. and countryside are thousands upon thousands of men who have become enormously rich and ha"ve retired from business. In the cities also are hundreds of thousands of men who would ■willingly go out onto a great farm with any one of these rich men as a leader. Throughout the country are (millions of acres of farm land that will not feel the bite of a plow because there are no, men available in the immediate communities. These millionaires, with nothing to do, could easily take over this idle land and put it under cultivation—if they would. They, with their great wealth and prestige, could easily secure the workmen in their Own cities. The brains that ‘won them riches in commercial life would bring them pronounced succesfe in producing the greatest possible yields from the soil. They

would thus become invaluable aids to the government in its hour of peril. But are they doing it? Are they producing a single pound of the enormous quantities of food that are necessary to the salvation of our country? ; THEY ARE NOT! With a very few isolated exceptions, they are living at rid,ing around in tlieir automobiles- — using up'the gasoline that is needed for farm tractors and army, trucks —consuming the food that others produce—telling the government what to do and doing nothing themselves —making of themselves a millstone around the neck of the' nation in its time of stress. Millionaire barnacles'