The Lamar register., 1910-08-03
Building Up the Country

1
the Arkansas valley. From the
interest shown by the farmers in
the past few months, however, this
condition is rapidly giving way to
| one in which the farmers are be-
coming vitality interested in what
the local commercial bodies are
doing, and are lending their NOR
al. financial and all other sup
port. There must be reason
1 for the change. on the principle
that there is a reason to all things.
The Arkansas valley is decided
ly an agricultural community, with
the exception of few manufac-
turing enterprises. Even these
enterprises are dependent to a
great extent upon the farming dis
tricts. Therefore, what benefits
the farmer here benefits the town.
Build up the surrounding coun-
try and the towns will take care
of themselves. is the essence of
the spirit of the Arkansas valley
at the present time.
The Lamar commercial associa-
ton, for instance, has undertaken
a good work in encouraging i'm
ton easily answered would be
what end of the section, the farm
er or the business man, profited
more by the immigration. I'm
doubleday the farmer does. Exper-
fence in the past. and in every
other section OF the valley and
state has proven that immigration
encourages more immigration and
hat makes prices of land higher.
The towns build up with the in
creased farming population. all of
which tends to one thing, a high
er valuation of farm property to
the farmer. and a more beautiful.
thickly settled country.
A farmer argues that the bus
mess man is the one to take the
burden of the colonization work
from the fact that to the farmer
the storekeeper looks for his sup
port. and the more farmers the
more support. To make this true
the sentence. and more store
keepers come with more farm
ers'' might be added. This does
throw the burden Of the work on
the business man. The farmer.
however. in being a business man.
and representing more capital in
vested than the business houses in
town is to be considered. and his
support towards the local body is
needed.
In Bent county. for instance. the
local chamber of commerce of Las
Animas has issued a call for ten
cents an acre to be used for ad-
vertising purposes. The farmers
are responding encouragingly. for
the reason that they know that
the expenditure of ten cents per
acre. II handled judiciously. means
an added vauation to their lands
Of many times that amount. Ten
dollars an acre increase is nothing
when the country is beginning to
feel the influx OF hungry land seek
srs. all with the money to pur-
chase, or settle.
The farmer is in a position to
do wonders in assisting the local
commercial association. The MEM
bership fee is not SO heavy that
the farmer will miss it. That is
the small part OF it. 1t is the
moral support that the business
interests like to feel. to know that
the farmers are interested in what
is being done for a community that
assists in the work. The whole eff
forts of a local chamber of COM
merce are not necessarily tied up
in the immigration work. There
are a thousand and one things to
be done in a town that the local
bodies can do. and the farmer
takes as much pride in having them
done as the business man living in
the city. 1t beauties his home
town, and that is a pleasure that
should be dear to the heart OF
any farmer.
When the local commercial as
ISOLATION makes a bid for new
industries, who is the most able
to feel the direct benefits OF 1t.
the business man or the farmer!
Decidedly the farmer. for in this
section the Industries are natur-
ally relying on the farming In
dustry, as stated before. There
fore IL anything in the manufac-
.uring line of industry is encourag-
ed, the farmer Immediately feels
the benefits. both from the raise
in the. price of land. as shown by
he coming of the American Beet
Sugar company factory here In
Lamar, and also in having an
opening made for a product OF
his soil that will bring him more
money than other crops that ne
might have raised and shipped to
| othar mopufa cturinR DOintS.