The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-11
Interesting Paper to the Farm
ers by Professor Bemis.
Believes Coop Grafton to Be the
Need of Agricultural Glasses.
PRICES WILL FALL.
FaVOrs the State Obtaining
Taxes From Incomes.
Central Village Schools for
Farmers Children Advocated.

Newton, Dec. 11-One of the best
talks made before the Farmers insti-
tute here was that of Prof. E. w. Be
mis-. He believes that within the next
few years there will be a fall in grain
and prices of farm products.
Though he did not say so, it was plain
that Professor Bemis attributes such
belief to the present monetary system
of the country. He was careful, how
ever, not to discuss the proposition.
Professor Bemis' talk was very con-
servatiVe, and he advocated several
needs of farmers which perhaps are
practical, but not ready to be taken up
by them. He spoke on Some Needs
of the Farmer
He said in part:
Il am glad to see that the question of
meat is one in which the farmer is be-
coming interested. This is something
in which the farmer should be careful
believe it will be a great question for
agrlculturiStS more and more as time
goes on. Whatever becomes of grain,
l think there will be no fall in the
prices of meat in the next ten years.
The question of doing away with the
profits Of the middlemen is something
of a problem farmers are beginning to
study This means cooperative stores.
In England, the cooperative plan has
proven remarkable success. In this
country, though, 1 regret to say there
has not been much progress Kansas
leads, however, in cooperative stores.
OF all This store has a capital of
$10o 600, a surplus of S2S, 900 and pays
10 per cent interest on it's capital, so
successful is it. A dividend of two per
cent is paid upon the trade This
store is on a splendid basis and shows
what may be done.
The cooperative creamery is a mag
nif1cent thing. Here in the west the
creamery business is growing rapidly.
In Kansas it is spreading as well as
elsewhere; It is question in which
farmers should De interested. Let me
call attention, in this connection to the
dairy school to be established at the
State Agricultural college January l.
Another form of cooperation is in
the way of fire insurance. Many farm
eFs in Iowa, particularly are beginning
to see that insurance may be secured
at reasonable rates. As in fraternal
insurance, the assessment basis may be
used. Perhaps an assessment may be
made for the next payment to come.
I may refer to another cooperative
plan in vogue in Europe; not much
here, though it may be-co-operative
credit associations, to enable farmers
to borrow. This is not an incentive to
borrowing, but rather to check it Ia
Germany, it has grown so that not a
day passes without the organization of
an association. Unlimited liability is
one feature Of the association. ANY
man becomes liable to the full extent
of property, for the association. This
makes them very careful. When a loan
is desired, they go to a syndicate or
firm and borrow money at very low
rate of interest because of the charac-
ter of the association. Then the asso-
citation can lend at very slight in
crease to its members. It has re-
duced interest greatly in Germany,
placing the farmers Independent of the
Jew. The United States agricultural
department indorsed this in 1892 and it
may spread in this country.
One thing most necessary is added
educational facilities Many districts
are dep0Pulated so families may give
their children better facilities in towns
1 heartily indorse superintendent Stryk-
er's system for remedy of the evils in
the schools. This is to have farmers
wives take children to central village
schools, bringing them home at night
1t is more economical and very practi-
cal The system is in vogue in every
New England state and Ohio. 1t is
coming to Kansas Then [ think the
efficiency of the schools may be increas-
ed by increased state taxation. The
present system allows the schools to be
supported by local taxation, which helps
the city to the injury of the farm
school. 1t should be the other way. The
country schools should be helped at the
expense of the city schools. The time
is coming in Kansas when this will be
done. The time also is coming when
there will be more pay for teachers. so
they can be better prepared and schools
helped that much
There is nothing in all government
so bad and unjust as state and local
taxation. The ratio of taxation runs
o
propertys value to one-eighth, Just as
the assessors may take the notion The
system is unfair. Much of the wealth
of communities is not seen, such as
notes and securities. These often es-
cape taxation. My idea would be to
tax incomes, and 1 believe the country
win come to that yet. California has
a good law, which provides that no
man owning property shall be taxed
for more than the amount of property
he owns independent of debt. That law
will come to Kansas yet.
"A feasible plan would be for the
state to obtain taxes from incomes, in
heritances, etc, leaving to towns and
communities real and other taxation.
An inevitable result of present systems
will be the giving a sheet to each man
showing how much those around him
are taxed"
Professor Bemis closed by declaring
in favor of the postal savings bank bill
now before congress. He said this
would not injure the other banks. He
advocated safer investments; he de-
clared, too, that he took no stock in the
declaration by J. Sterling Morton, late
secretary of agriculture, that farmers
had no business talking finance or
banking. He said the farmer should
study all questions, and earnestly urg-
ed the farmers to get together in the
winter and study.