Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1909-12-31
EDUCATION MUST BE FIRST.
Prof. Craig Sounds Timely Warn
ing Against Spirit of Com
mercialism.

| Davenport, Wash, Dec. 27. 1909.
| Dear Editor: Since becoming a
| member of the Farmers Educa-
tional and Cooperative Union 3
| years ago, have many, many
| times been amazed at the con
slant trend of the great bulk of
our brethren toward attacking
this great problem of ours at what
seems to me the wrong end. The
title Of our organization is the
Farmers Educational and Cooper
alive Union, yet in all our local,
county, state and national meet
ings we constantly preach and
appeal to our members concern
ing the pooling of our grain, and
the elimination of the middle
man S profit; we seem to be
getting the idea that by welding
ourselves together for a great
mass play, we can not only sue
cessfully compete with the great
organized centers, but can even
dominate and control the markets
of the world. We forget that these
organized centers and middle men
have had years and years of the
shreWdest training along competi-
tive lines They have exercised
every faculty i'll the art of driving
a shrewd bargain. They employ
only the expert who has success
fully prepared himself for the
profession, and who has proved
himself in actual experience. Our
growth has been so rapid, and
our achievements along certain
lines have been so great that we
are in danger of being inflated
with our success and losing sight
of what seems to me to be the
first great principle in any last
ing achievement, viz: an intellec-
tual development keeping far in
advance of the growth of the in
dustry.
Our order calls first for educa-
tional union, then for cooperative
union We spend too much. in fact
nearly all of our time, in discuss
ing the making of one dollar by
selling at a great profit. when
we might frequently make two
dollars by discussing the more in
telligent methods of running the
farms, handling the stock, educa-
ting the boys and girls, and
awakening higher social ideas for
our communities. We must have,
and do have, competent men to
run the business, but the great
mass must awaken and keep well
Informed as to the who and why
a thing is done. We must train
Iup and educate ourselves to de
mand a new order of things to be
discussed at our meetings; sub
Ijects that will bring about new
ideas that we may take home to
our families after we have left
the dollar in the bank.
Has single union in the state
of Washington given over a part
Of any meeting to discussion of
any problems that would bring
about better things for our boys
and girls? What about their edu-
cation? What about our school
buildings and their equipment?
What about good teachers? What
about longer terms of school and
the teaching of certain subjects? ?
Are we going to be content to go
on with the same standard of ed
EDUCATIONAL conditions in our rural
schools that we had ten or fifteen
years ago?
Hustling, far seeing, shrewd
and unselfsh men realized in the
industrial centers years ago, that
the best and showiest public
buildings, such as churches and
school houses were the surest evil
dences of thrift and energy. These
things are sure to awaken favor
able comment from every Strang-
err and draw toward such centers
the best and most desirable class,
besides having an educative and
refining effect upon the home peo-
pie. People are unconsciously led
to take greater pride in and form
greater attachments for their COM
munities.
Start out for drive across
some strange part of the country
and suddenly come in sight of
nice, modern and snowy school
building or church, well equipped
and well cared for, and what is
the effect? Every acre of land
within a radius of three miles is
worth from So to So more, yet the