Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1895-03-12
How a Boom Of W.llmar Would
Help the Farmers.

'SA eAAO ! al
We meet occasionally business
men III our towns and also farm
ers IN the country who entertain
notion that the interest of
country and '@n,yn, of farmer and
merchant, is MtagoniStir. This
notion is founded on the de|usion
that our ordinary legitimate
trade partakes always Of the ma
tnrr OF sharp trick-bargaining.
1t Is admitted that there are mer
chants who trade with the object
OF making all they can, foul or
falr, and that there are farmers
who do the same thing in turn
whenever they get achauce. But
"" hoh! that such trading is the
exception anil not the rule. We
know that farmers often COM
plain OF being treated unfairly.
And now we ask such complain
ing farmers how they expect to
remedy this unfair trading,
where it really exists The an
sWer is. bv getting Il chance to
trade with some fairer dealer, by
competition among dealers. But
to be sure Of that healthy COM
petition among business men
that keeps prices down to a fair
living profit in all branches of
business there must he a certain
size of the town, and the larger
the better. OF course business
men sometimes combine to keep
up prices, but if the range
OF prices is too high, and the
town of any size, such arrange
ment cannot last long. We say,
If the town is Of any size, and the
volume of business large, some
cnterpri>iny outsider will soon
discover this fact, and come in
and bid for the trade on fair
terms. This then is the advan-
tage of a large town: that there
is always sharp competition and
goods of all kinds at fair prices.
The latter may be true, and very
often is true, of small towns, but
OF larger towns it is always
true. Excepting Of course goods
whose prices are set by manu-
facturerS, trusts and cOmbina-
tionS. Hence, looking at this
question from a farmers stand
point pu1e ely, we assert that 4
large trading mart within a days
drive Of a farmer guarantees the
latter abs0lutely against unfair
dealing in trade. If his home
town treats him fairly, we'll and
good, there is where he ought to
trade; if not. he can hitch up his
team and go to the larger town
where the numerous business
houses and more intense compe-
tition assures him OF a fair deal.
Hence it is directly as IL matter
of fair prices for goods. and indi-
rect]y in many other ways, Of the
greatest Importance to the farm
ers OF kandiyohi county to have
a large trading mart within the
county, and the larger the better.
SO when the Tribune urges the
upbui|liny and booming of Will
mar it works directly for the ben
eft of the farmers of kandiyohi
county as much, and perhaps
more so, than for the interest OF
the property owners and bust
ness OF Willmar. Nor should any
OF the smaller surrounding towns
feel Jealous, and we are certain
they do not, because every intel|i-
gent business man knows that
the boom OF WiIlmar would d.
rectIy benefit them all. Suppose
Wil|mar should get an iron foun-
dry. Would that hurt New Lon
don, or Atwater, or Kerkhoven?
Surely not. Because it is moral
ly certain that neither Of these
places would ever getsuch a plant
and WiIlmar is the nearest point
to either Of them that such a
plant can be established. Such Il
plant at WiIlmar would be Oi
great convenience and benefit to
all the surrounding towns. Sup.
pose WilImar should start mp a
boom and attract that Chicago
road headed for her, distant only
u few miles southeast Of the
county, would that hurt any.
body? Nay, isn't that just what
would do in some measure justice
to the long suffering patience o.
the Lake Lillian farmer, and ben
eft this whole se''tion ofc'untry!
Tine Tribune believes in political
reform, but it also believes il
business reform iyht here al
home among ourselves. Weh;,vt
studied these problems some
what, but still we may lie wrong
in some particulars. But if VI
are, we should like to have some
body correct us. We invite criti
ciSn, and discussion Of this mat
ter in the Tribune.
We call especially the farmers
attention to our FARMERS WANTS
AND For SALE COLUMN begun il
this issue. This Is onl y one o