Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-07-15
TO INTEREST FARMERS.
Tswn Commercial Clubs Should Invite
Them to Become Members.

Tswn Commercial Clubs Should invite
Them to Become Members.
Development of home industries was
the topic of conversation between two
men in n small city of the middle west
on recent occasion. one was local
business man and the other a stranger,
who had Travelled extensively through
the section, frequently stopping over
night ut farmhouses. The town resi-
Ient had remarked that the local com
mercial club seemed to be working
hard enough to get outside industries
to locate in the place, but such home
industries as they had were not al
ways properly supported.
whats the USE he asked "to boom
the town with the view of inducing
new industries to come here, when so
many of our own citizens, and particu-
larly the farmers who live around here,
are patronizing the big city mail order
houses 50 largelyF'
'Is your commercial club doing any
thing for the farmers?' inquired the
traveller.
The business man looked puzzled.
He replied that he didn't exactly see
the point
what can we do for the farmers?
We've got to look out for ourselves
he said.
The other man smiled broadly.
"Why, my dear man" he said. don't
you know that one way of looking cut
for yourselves is to get the farmers III
line and increase their Interest ia tAci4
home town: How many farmers, for
instance, are members of your com
mercial clubt'
"Why, none at all Our club is mad"
up of town business men. | never
heard of any board of trade or bust
LESS mems club that included farmers
in the membership Where did you get
that notion?"
"Oh. got it from going about in the
country quite a bit and observing" re
piled the other "rhis town is sup
ported chiefly by It's outlying agricul-
tural interests, isn't it? You wouldn't
the fine farming section that surrounds
you, would you?"
"Well. no: should say not. Farm
ing is the chief industry around here"
every true. Then you certainly
should interest yourselves in your own
chief home industry to the extent Of
inviting the farmers to cooperate with
you in your commercial club. 1t is the
farmers interest to have the town
grow. He gets better market for his
produce as the town to which he hauls
il increases in population. Why. then.
Is he not just about As deeply interest
ed IN the growth Of the town as is the
merchant or the manufacturer hereY"
"Well, | reckon he ought to be-" adj
mitted the business man.
"But you are ignoring the farmer.
He would take a livelier interest in the
town if the town should take live
lier interest in him. AS 1t is now he
probably thinks you folks are too up.
pish for him. You should invite him to
Join your commercial body and make
him feel at home with you. His inter-
ests are your interests. and vice versa.
l stopped overnight with farmers
family not far from here this week
and was somewhat surprised to find
him rather inclined to knock your
town. He said that the town people
never really took him or his family
into fellowship. and he could see no
reason why he should do all his trad
ing with your merchants. He said he
was patronzing the mail order houses
whenever he could If he thought there
was any chance of bargain Now,
why don't you get few representa-
tive farmers in your commercial club
and let town and country work to-
Gether? 1t would pay. am sure"
mot a bad suggestion" said the
business man. "I'll take the matter up
at the next meeting of the commercial
club, and I've no doubt it will 90
through | don't think any of the
members have given any thought to
this idea ut all. Like many other good
things, it hasn't occurred to us | can
zee now that cooperation in some off
cial way between the farmers and the
town business men is a strong point in
building NJ home trade and combating
the outside Influences which are tax
lug away Il good deal Of the money
that should by right be spent here"