The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-01-30

the past, and are not now. in close
touch and proper sympathetic rela.
tlonshlp with the farmers as men and
with farming as a business. Your
manufacturing industries and COM
mercial relations. based as they are
directly upon the output of the farm
ers' efforts, point out that. if this
statement is correct, it indicates an
anomalous condition. harmful and UNI
| necessary. 1t should be changed for a
| proper relationship Of mutual inter
est and mutual improvements of
methods.
1t Is easier for you, gentlemen,
| through your business relations. to ini-
tate steps looking toward a better un-
Iderstanding of mutual interests and de-
| sires for proper mutual business i'm
provements than 1t is for the widely
scattered farming public. The farmers
of the northwest, as / know them. are
| a broad minded lot, quite unlike the
type of certain old world peasants who
| FEAR and suspicion every man who at
| tempts to aid them. They are, as a
class, in mind condition proper to ac-
cept all aid which is given with whole
hearted intent looking toward the
/ common progress of all parties con-
cerned, but you may expect them to
question your motives If they find the
organized effort of your Organization
and its allies always the selfish one
always against the farmer in all his
other lines of effort at possible better
ment of farm life and farm progress.
If, for example, you demand a high
! tariff on all manufactured products
which the farmer needs in his life
| work and demand a low tariff or the
free list for all the products Of the
farm as they come from the land; IL,
in your commercial relations with the
| farmer you insist on paying him low
price for low grade grain, but in your
process use it as an admixture with,
or substitute for high grade grains to
| MAJ the standard products of the
trade; If, for example, the farmer
needs parcel post to place himself in
proper touch with the business world
without enormous loss of time and en-
ergy, and he finds that you stand
against him in all these and similar
great essentials to his well being, you
may expect him to doubt your sim
| cerity of purpose in claiming to be a
CO. partner in the great business Of
farming and to have little sympathy
with you when you cry for more grain
or for better quality.
How Really to Help
If, then, you would help the farmer
farm better, If you would help him to
have better yields from less acres and
better returns for the yields as FRO
duced that he may certainly become
the definite foundation Of his own and
of your future success / would sug-
gest that you study the farmers needs
from the farmers viewpoint as wen as
from your own You and the farmers
will then get together.
(2) That you have the desire to
aid the farmer to better methods Of
grain production and of farm methods
may be taken as a definite frank that
better mutual relation and sympathy
of purpose can be attained. with this
thought in mind, I would affirm that
you can help do the thing which you
wish My second suggestion is, there
fore, decide to help induce the farmer
to grow better grain and to farm bet
ter. In doing this. you VIII find that he
is your brother in business and that