The San Francisco call., 1904-10-28

the topic discussed by z. F. Adams He
said a business man is one who knows
what will pay in his business. Tne mis-
takes made by farmers who neglect
simple business principles, who operate
without regard to cause and effect ana
permit political managers to fool them
into betraying their own interests, were
described by the speaker, who salo IN
conclusion:
1t appears that when the farmer uses the
brains he has to deal with ms analrs ato, !" ali
business like way; to locate and stop al AZ
wastes Of production; to produce as laI az nS
can only the best OF its kind; to grade II non.
estly and sell il for what IL is; 70 co-operate
faithfully with his fellows; to cultivate fr1enaiy
relations with his statesmen, his bankers anu ~
his customers; then will he demonstrate hi Nc
power OF economic survival and vindicate MS
right to be called business man.
Professor Elwood Mead. chief of irri-
CATION and drainage Investigations
United States Department OF Agr1cul-
ture. washington, d. c., told the insti-
tute how desirable it Is that depart
ment of agricultural engineering be es-
tablished at the California State Uni
versity. He said that it is a branch OF
engineering which has long been recos-
nized in Europe, but which has not un-
til the last decade been taught in this
country. Conditions are changing, how
ever, and Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota
and Nebraska have provided for SUCH
instruction. or contemplate doing So
in special buildings or with special ap-
pliances and instructors.
The greater opportunity in California
grows out of its climate, which makes
irrigation a necessity; out Of the large
areas of swamp and OverfloWed lands,
which must be redeemed by dykes and
drains: by the vast level stretches OF
fertile farming land which make the
use of complex and costly machinery
possible and the high prices and scar
city of farm labor, which render the
use of the machinery necessity 1t is
q kind of training needed by the farm
er to enable him to apply water to his
fields with less waste and loss; to know
how to reclaim lands ruined by seepage
and alkali; to know how to select, ad-
just and repair pumping machinery.
OTHER SPEAKERS.
Charles H. Bentley, manager of the
sales department of the California Fruit
Gamers Association, spoke during the
afternoon session on "The Merchant as
a. Factor in Marketing" He depre-
Gated the idea of farmers that the mid
dlemen must be eliminated, declaring
that his function is inevitable and
proper. He said cooperation as
means of escape from the middleman
or merchant had failed because of the
farmers inability to nurse the business
of selling his product at the time he
worked to bring it forth. The idea that
because so much fruit had been con-
sumed in one year so much must be
consumed the next is unwise, the
speaker said. He said fruit is not an
absolute necessity. Its sales increase
as the product is advertised, pushed
and properly handled, and this work he
believed the merchant did legitimately
and well. The merchants are not get
ting rich while the farmers starve, for
there are more failures than successes
in the business.
plato, referring to his citizens for an
ideal republic said the speaker,
''spoke of statesmen or merchants as
those who did that work because Of in
ability or unfitness to do anything else.
Let your humble merchants, then, now,
as in Plato's time, continue to buy and
sell and trade in your product, because
they really may not be able to do any
thing else.
The improving and beautifying OF
California's highways was the subject
of an address by Mrs. Caroline hickey
Olney. secretary of the Canine Real
Association of Los Angeles.
Professor Carl C. Plehn dealt ex-
haustively with the subject of taxation
from the farmers standpoint, and John
Tuohy of TuIare spoke Of Taxation
For State and County Purposes"