The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1911-10-19

Mr.. Editor:
As farmer and one that is decid
eddy up against it, l read the state
ment It the bankers OF Minot with
great interest. Seems to me it's a
mighty good plan. I certainly want
to hold my farm and | believe it's
the part OF wisdom for the bankers,
to have me do 80. fully realize
that if ! let 90 voluntarily or am
forced to do so through foreclosure
that I'll not be able to get another
under the easy conditions with which
secured this one. Cheap lands are
now practically all gone, and it. takes
cash and lots of it to buy a good 100
acres.
For the past ten years most Of us
farmers have tried to make exclusive
grain growing the sole end of our
efforts. It's good easy business If
every year was fair to good one.
But hard experience has taught me
that two years of fairly good crops
and one year Of failure will not pay
interest or lift the mortgage. | can
speak intelligently for myself and my
neighbors that we are willing and
eager to adopt any new plan that will
help us out of the hard conditions ir
which we find ourselves today. Ten
years o. earnest effort on the part Of
myself, wife and children, has taught
me that it is not an easy matter to
Init five year mortgage, bearing ten
per cent interest, at least, it's true
SO far as exclusive grain farming is
concerned. That mortgage works
might and day, including Sundays,
and once it gets real busy" you
cant pry it loose with a crowbar.
, I've "sot" and thought, and thought
and "sot,' and | can't make grain
farming balance with the mortgage
running five years at ten per cent
I've reached the conclusion and I'm
sure I speak for many farmers, that
when you must, because of drought,
hail or black rust, put a mortgage
on the farm at ten per cent, and
chantel mortgage on the stock At
twenty per cent, we are all sure
enough candidates for the "all I'M
class | know that we have 60, to
make change Of some kind and
quickly, or we farmers will go under
and Minot suffer proportionately.
: If farmers in Iowa, Wisconsin and
Minnesota can make money with the
milch COW on land worth $3.50 an
acre, | see no good reason why we
ran not do it here in this section
OF North I)akota As farmers we
Should face the situation bravely,
and grasp any means that may be
Offered that will help us out of tho
wilderness.
= It's mighty hard thing to see a
man and family who have made, 1t
not wise. still an earnest effort to
hold that farm and home, driven out
Through foreclosure. The man who
holds the mortgage in the east neither
sees nor cares. He has played dead
safe. The fact that one farmer and
'hs family IRE forced to give up,
while bad enough, Is not necessarily
a calamity, but when many of us are
hard up against it then it begins to
'be a serious question, and how to
prevent it should be the business of
every citizen, both farmer and bust
less man.
4 Grain farming will not in a period
of five years pay ten per cent over
and above wear and tear of machin-
cry and cost of living, indeed, I ques-
ton whether for the same period Of
time 1t will pay six per cent II
that is true and I believe it Is, then
we should add an additional income
producing power to the farm. An in
come that is dead sure and not sub
jeot to lack OF rainfall, hail, drought.
Experience Of other states much
Older than ours has demonstrated
that the mich COW 10 the one hest
bet, to meet and overcome the situ-
alton. l know that where the milch
COW, milk station and creamery e1-