The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-14
THE FARMERS.
Governor Stubs Makes His fIrSC
Speech of Welcome.
Tells the TilIers to Keep Books
and Accounts
A TALK ON CORN.
Mayor Green WelcOmes-Pres1-
dent SpOnsIer Responds.
BANQUET to Farmers and Breed
ers by the "KanSas Farmer.

Governor Walter Roscoe Stubbs made
his debut as a welcOmer before the an
nual meeting of the state board OF
agriculture last night in representative
hall. He dwelt upon the Importance OF
the farm account. Farmers should
keep books and know just where they
stand, know on what crops they are
making money, or what losing.
The governor followed Dean J. f.
De B. Kaye who opened the meeting
with a short invocation. President A
L Sponsler of the association presided
1T gives me great pleasure to meet
with you and welcome you on behah
Of the state" said the governor as an
Introductory. Il am proud to be
member of the association which rep
resents the most important industry on
earth. Farming is the basis of every
other industry. We would need no
railroads were it not for the farms
Nor would we have need of factories.
1T has always been a wonder to me
that farmers are not organized. Nearly
every other industry is and the organ
iZationS amount almost to trust ana
1 am surprised that the farmers are
not when they would have such
tremendous power SiXty-fiVe per cent
of the voters are farmers, and believe
they make a great mistake by not COM
ing together oftener and discussing
their affairs in a business like manner.
THE farmers need to use more bus1-
ness methods. There is less bookkeep-
ing on the farms than in other bust
ness. A farmer should learn what II
costs to, raise and harvest an acre OF
any crop. or how much it cost to put
fat on cattle"
Governor Stubs gave the agricul-
tural college at Manhattan great praise
during his address.
we have the opportunity for the
? H.
world right out here at Manhattan"
continued Governor Stubs. With
careful study under the auspices of this
school, the crop. yields of Kansas could
be more than doubled. The proper Sc
lection of wheat. the breeding of corn
just as you breed your horses and such
things can be made to increase the
farming revenues one hundred per cent.
Hogs in Kansas used to look like
race horses with their long lean legs,
with no hams and lots of bacon, now
they are as square as square dealers.
I like the pictures of Kansas hogs sent
out by Coburn for they are the prettiest
pictures on earth. This is the mission
of our state institution to instruct the
farmers and live stock dealers how to
bring about such results. Manhattan
can be improved so that the benefits
accruing to the state cannot be over
estimated"
The Good Roads idea.
Then Governor Stubs launched out
on his good roads idea. The mere men
ton of good roads brought loud ap-
plause from the farmers and live stock
breeders.
There is no reason" said he, why
we can not have good roads. when we
have such good crops. In the United
States today it costs % cents a ton to
haul the products of the farm to the
railway stations. In European coun-
tries where they have good roads it
costs about 10 or II cents ton. Haul
ing costs the American farmer 237 mill
lions every year, and tine Kansas farm
ers lose about five millions. Good
roads would make farm life more
pleasant; they would shorten distance.
But we can not get them in Kansas
until we can get some experienced man
to take charge of the work. The roads
must be improved on a business basis.
The railroads have a chief engineer.
We should have such an official in
Kansas. Of course some people would
kick. but it can't be done in any other