The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-08-22
MAKING A GOAT
OF AUTOMOBILE
STATEMENT THAT INVESTMENT
IN BUZZ WAGONS IS CAUSING
SCARCITY OF MONEY ABSURD.
SAYS HARPERs-THE FARMERS
KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING.

Harper's Weekly doesn't believe in
making the auto the goat" of our
financial troubles, and in recent is
sue says:
Bankers have declared war on the
Observation-Disclosures of the east as
we'll as Of the west and south Or
ders have been issued quite generally
to loan no more money to be used
in purchase of cars. The reason as
signed is that motoring has become
| IAN extravagant, wasteful craze"
which must be checked or the coun-
try will go to the bow-w vows Maybe
SO; but we don't believe it. No doubt
good many people buy automobiles
who can not safely afford to do so.
few, perhaps, as the Mortified bank
ers say, have mortgaged their homes
TO pay for them. Others have failed
to take into account the cost of up ,
keep. Grant all that! They will
learn, won't they? And if their ex- |
perlence proves to be dear, they are |
the ones who will have to stand Il |
aren't they? To argue that money! |
tlghtness is due to the great sums
invested in cars is nonsense. The dol
lars paid go to the manufacturers
and by them are distributed among
their workmen and dtsbursed for ma
terials. They neither leave the coun-
try or go up in smoke. They merely !.
change hands and find their way |,
through various channels from one
back to another. Nor is it true that.
as rule, the motor Is a luxury. A :,
vast majority of the 1000 machines
made this year go to farmers, small :
doctors and LAWYERS
throughout the country. They sun
plant horses because they are more
efficient. They earn and save money
Iuite as often as they induce the ,
of it. Probably three
ifths or more are cared for and on n
rated by their owners, who buy chean !
,asoline instead of dear oats. ouite
Kelly they have not yet attained ,
helr fuli value in economics. That
axes time. But they are getting
mere and are bound to reach the goal q
$ certain as the steam railway car c
Implanted the stage coach. Best OF g
H. better even than the commercial
dVantages derived from their use o
ley are fetching comparatively iso- y
TIED folks into contact with their s
elbows. The curse of the country v
Ierybody knows, is the constant mi f
ration from farm to town. Well
hat causes it? Lonesomeness. We n
re a gregarious people and don't like s.
live alone. 1t is clear that what b
'er contributes to strike at the root e.
this baneful tendency by making n
r contentment on the farm is a good
ing. The telephone has done Won II
'rs along this line. The automobile Of
doing more. 1t ought to be en- n
uraged, not cut off like a sore Hn- fc
r. But can the farmers afford it IL
'obahly not in all cases. Many may
ly little ahead of time to please in
e children. But the American farm pC
Is not Ounce. He knows what | X,
can afford as well as the banker,
no is the real profligate, with his ST.
nabout and brougham and touring tv
r and two chauffeurs. No sir! Re pl
ance can be placed upon the COM in
on sense of the farmer, the doctor. en-
the tradesman. He may get nipped or
Ice, but not twice or thrice. Wholly It
lde then, from the gross injustice
attacking manufacturing industry
hich has grown to enormous proper
ons, it is unfair, shortsighted and
can to make the automobile the
BAT for all of our pecuniary Difficult
es, general depression and other ills.
ct the bankers go west on vacation
stead Of to Europe, where they do
ave wads and wads of good Ameri-
In money, and it is dollars to dough-
Its they will change their dolefuI
ote to a tune more patriotic.