The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-11-07
BY WILLIAM z. sMYTHE.

vvt.@tH" 6s CIV
A silent revolution is under way
on millions of farms in the south,
the middle west and the Pacific
coast.
Literally, millions of farmers
somewhere between two and three
millionaire enrolled In the var
ious state and county branches of
the Farmers Educational and Co
operative Union of America.
1t has not been easy to obtain ex-
act information concerning the
movement, because its leaders have
mott SMght publicity and its work
ings have been confined to a single
class Of citizenship, widely scat
tered and mostly remote from or
binary news sources.
But it is big movement-big in
numbers, big in the scope OF it's
commercial operations, and very
big indeed in Its social and eco
nomic significance.
Does 1t mean anything In poll
tics? Not If its leaders and best
friends can help 1t, Politicians
have made desperate efforts to cap
ture 1t, but thus far without the
slightest encouragement.
Better farms, better living, bet
ter homes, better education for the
children-this isw hat the farmers
are driving at.
First of all, with the aid of DR..
8. A. Knapp, chief Of experiment
stations In the department of agri-
culture, they aimed to abolish the
evil of the single crop and to teach
every farmer to be independent on
his own land.
"Live at home and eat at the
same place." is one of their slo-
gans. The North Carolina union
went so far at its last meeting as
to adopt a rule to this effect:
Raise your food supplies or be ex-
PEELED from the union"
This is pretty drastic, but the
farmers are determined to get rid
Of the policy that has kept them
poor-the policy of selling all they
produced at heavy cost of trans
portation and commissions, and buy
ing all they consumed at similar
cost.
The essence of the movement Is
co-operative--co-operative with the
agricultural department in learn
ing new methods of scientific and
intensive cultivation; cooperative
with each other in selling products
and purchasing supplies; co-opera-
ton of county unions in state Or
CARNATIONS, and of state organiza-
tions In a great national body.
The success achieved up to this
time is remarkable.
ALABAMA has reduced the cost,
while raising the standard, of liv-
ing for her farmers by purchasing
fertilizers, flour, dry goods and
implements direct from manufacture
ers. She has more than 100 ware
houses that cost In the aggregate
over 100000.
ARKANSAS has 80 cotton ware
houses, about the same number of
gins and cotton seed houses, and
many stores, owned and managed
by her farmers. She also has a
large timber interests and number
o. banks owned in the same way.
CALIFORNIA has a Farmers
union with a capital of $250,000,
held exclusively by its members.
which acts as buying and selling
head for IA local associations in
Santa Clara and San Joaquin val
leys. The local associations own
warehouses and fruit packing
plants. The movement in this state
Is not yet two years old. but Is
spreading rapidly.
COLORADO has IL associations
with total authorized capital of
$1.4oS,000. They operate three coal
mines, two creameries, a pickle fac
tory and broom factory. The far
mers have recently opened their
first cooperative bank at Rifle,
with deposits of $4,000.
GEORGIA has taught her farm
ers to buy their flour in train loads,
and to save hundreds of thousands
Of dollars in purchasing fertilizers
ut wholesale. Her farmers own
600 acres of phosphate land, an i'm
plement factory and 1874 ware
houses. It Is cheering to note that