Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-07-28
LAND AID AUTOMOBILES.

Scratch a country banker and hear
him yell about the farmer running the
country buying automobiles" said an
automobile man on the street today
with much Indignation in his voice;
"bur scratch the bankers bank book
and You wilIsfind country bankers Dor
rowing and investing in speculative
lands. SO fort every 81 that has gone
into automobiles" he concluded. Rather
unpleasant manner of expression, but
full of sasac aous financial wisdom.
The farmer buying automobiles IS
not the fellow who makes money tight.
Ten millions invested in these ma
chimes by Iowa people this year aver
ages only 800 900 to the county,
whereas bank deposits must average
three or four millions to the county
to one-third of one per cent Of the
total Observation-Disclosures in a county
cant be said 10 be running the coun-
try
Land speculation is doing st; only 1t
isn't Where fifteen or twenty farmers
are spending $4,000 for automobiles,
one village tanker is borrowing and
investing twice that amount in west
ern, northern or southern lands; spec
ulating And as you go along the
street every merchant, every profess
sional man. many artisans and some
retired farmers who either have a
surplus or can borrow, have taken a
flyer in land. Even the active farmers
are into 1t and it is safe to say that
ten farmers in Iowa today are holding
speculative land to one who rides
around in an automobile.
| The trouble Is we can all see the
automobile In the course OF an even
ling II will whiz by three or four times,
Iuntil we become confused and get as
tpanic stricken as our intoxicated friend
who saw six heads and six feminine
night caps in the bed where one wife
ought to have been. Tonno rrow We will
bile is here to stay. The farmer whose
farm lies six TO ten miles from town
by buying an automobile, has moved
his farm. in effect, up to and adjoin-
ing the town plat. Instead of a full
days journey to town he now puts IN
la full days work at home. turns his
tired teams into the lot. does the chores
and he and his family come to town
in the auto IN a few minutes spent
after supper Tomorrow he Will haul
loads Of livestock and produce to town
and drag his farm machinery back and
forth across the fields with his automo-
bile
The village banker should square
himself around and face the farmer ir
was making just as much fuss abou
the auto because it scared his horses
He met It by climbing into the aut>
seat himself and he is satisfied. LIE
the village banker face the inevitable
and cut out the land speculation i
. money is tight Land is a sure thin.
as a money maker. to be sure, but j
will keep until a few of this years deal
have been cleaned up. Then new one
can be taken on. The village banke
with 10000 to $4,000 of borrowe
money invested in land is in poo
position to rail at at the farmer VIII
buys an automobile. Why. one oil
grey mare, if registered. can run j
!. the pasture and with her progeny pa
for the machine before it wears gu
She isn't kicking about it. While tn
land can only be paid for by movin
/ people ont Of Iowa to dig crops fror
the soil. If we are ashamed of re
nose, let's don't criticise the sen Sc
A without first blaming the booze.