Willmar tribune., 1909-11-17
PUBLICITY RALLY LAST FRIDAY
%**AN ENTHUSIASTIC SUCCESSES

The publicity rally at the Carl
son hall last Friday evening was a
great success from every point of
view. Not only was it attended by
representative local business men,
but delegations were present from
Atwater. Pennock, New London and
Renville, and everyone was more
than pleased with the affair.
After a brief address of welcome
by E. c. Wellin, president of the
Commercial club, State lmmigra-
tion Commissioner Welsh addressed
the meeting. He said in part:
Il heartily commend the liberal
ity which you have shown in Will
mar by inviting your neighbors to
this rally. Not only is it liberal,
but it is wise, for you have COM
mon interests, and can best further
them to the interest to all when
you thus meet together. You have
a beautiful city, surrounded by
great natural resources, good soil
and beautiful scenery. Providence
has been very good to you, and you
ought to be very thankful.
ITO build up your city you must
build up the country. The country
produces the essentials of life. 1t
is the creator of wealth, and you in
the cities are the transformers.
There has been deplorable tend
ency during the last 20 years for
people to move from the farms to
the cities, so much so that whereas
in 1890 1913 percent of the popula-
tion of the United States was found
on the farms, at the present time
thev hold only about 48 percent.
! The result has been a steady in
crease in the prices paid for pro-
ducts, an increase which the city
dweller is obliged to pay"
Il think the fault lies with us.
We have looked upon country life
as penalty. We have considered
it inferior to life in the city, and
in this manner we have encouraged
the drifting Of the young men
away from the farm. The time
has come for US to teach them not
only the dignity but the advantages
Of farm life and work. The agri-
cultural schools are doing a great
deal of good in this direction, but
the education must be started at
home.''
Speaking Of land values in Min.
nesota as compared with Illinois
and Iowa. he said: "While in Illi-
nois and Iowa land sells at from
$500 to $500 per acre, in Mime
sofa it sells for only between $50
and $50. The reason for the differ
ence cannot be a difference in the
producing value Of the land, for
this is slight. Furthermore.
whereas in Illinois titled land is
valued at $152 per acre. and in
Iowa at $40 in this state it is valued
at only about $38. / think there
are two reasons for this: first, the
people of the states to the south dc
not know what our lands can pro-
duce, and second, there is too much
jealousy between the business men
and the land men. The first OF
these faults the state department is
trying hard to correct by sending
out specific information to all the
states from which Minnesota car
hope to draw new renters or buyers
The second fault the land men ane
business men themselves will have
, to remedy. The state bureau il
the short time it has existed ha'
accomplished a great deal of prac
! tical good in stirring up an inter
. est in, Minnesota outside the state
and it hopes to do a great deal more
in the years to come. Specific ad
vertising is what you want to SEM
out. r.
> Show prospective buyers wha
> you HAVE DONE and what you
r. lands CAN DO and they will buy.
: At the conclusion of his address al
opportunity for asking question
= was given, and in this way grea
y deal of helpful information wa
brought out.
g The next address was given b
= D. M. Neill. president of the stat
4 federation of commercial clubs
= Mr.. Neill is from Red Wing. an
! he brought with him the Red Win
spirit--hustle, pull together, boost
:. He succeeded in instilling goo
4 deal of this spirit into his heare1
II before he got thru, and he did
h in such a way that it is apt to sta
G there a long time. He started b
speaking about how to secure fac
:. tories. Said he:
= Factories are not brought b
any slight-of-hand performance.
% is a practical, every day operation
70 The first step is, kill the knock
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