The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-08-17

ID country towns are unfair to the
farmers Is in the purchase Of farm
produce. A good many times the mer-
chants will combine tn geep down the
prices of potatoes and other farm
products. Often they will ahip To such
products from a distance, forgetting
their arguments in favor of buying IN
the home community.
One of the greatest injustices which
the merchant In the country town has
imposed upon the farmer and upon
his fellows in town as well is that OF
useless duplication. In many country
towns there are half dozen grocers
where one could easily do all the busi-
ness. Three or four hardware stores
are trying to live where there is trade
enough to support only one. There is
duplication in delivery systems. dupli-
cation in rent and clerk hire and in a
dozen other items. All this the farm
er and the town people who patronize
the stores have to pay. To be sure
that they do pay it there Is often an
agreement among the retailers to hold
prices at a certain level. Then they
complain when the farmer sends away
for his goods. They forget that the
farmer Is q business man and that
business man cannot succeed unless
he follows business principles and
buys in the cheapest market. The
remedy is free competition. Free COM
petition may force some Of the mer-
chants out Of business This will be
the best thing for the whole commu-
nifty. Better one prosperous merchant
than half a dozen who are making a
bare living The real merchants, those
who can run their business efficiently,
will remain In business. The others
would better be at work on the farm.
The best interests of the whole c0un-
try demand that business be decentral-
ized-that it be taken to as great an
extent as possible from the cities to
the country towns. To make this pos
sible the country towns must learn to
handle this business at the least cost.
This consolidation Of the business OF
the country towns will help to solve
the mail order problem. The local
merchant will not have to meet mail
order prices. The farmer is willing to
pay something for the convenience OF
getting goods when he wants them
He is willing to pay for the priv
ilege of seeing what he is buying HI
is not willing to pay the cost OF
delivery from which he gets no bene
fit. He is not willing to pay some ont
else's bad debts He Is not willing t.
pay store rent and clerk hire for twict
as many retailers as the trade de
mands.
In the most up to date country com
munities the country town and tn
farmers work together for the bes
good of ALL Many of the counu!
towns have commercial clubs that ar
alive to every opportunity for advance
ment. In many towns of the middl
west these commercial clubs are tn
foremost agencies in securing shor
courses In agriculture for their com
munities. The demand for these shor
courses is so great that the agricul
tural colleges do not as yet hav'
enough men to furnish as many o
these courses as are desired. The
are allotted to the towns which sho'
the most interest and furnish the bes
equipment to work with. The effort
of the commercial clubs to meet thes
requirements have helped the farmer
of many community to have the agr
cultural college brought to their door
II is the same with farmers inst
tutes. The commercial club provide
place and helps. bear the expense
realizing that its prosperity depend
upon. the prosperity Of the country.
Some of the towns have undertake
another move that Is Of great value
both town and country. They al
grading up and graveling the mai
travelled roads for several miles OF
into the country. From here the wor
in many cases is taken up by the farm
) ers, and the result is system of goc
roads for the whole community
In numberless other ways the cor
mercial clubs and the farmers al
working together to build up the cor
munity. Such community can
told at glance. The country shows
in smooth roads and we'll kept fence
The farmyard shows 1t In paintt