Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-12-10

J. K, Dysart read an interesting
paper to the farmers at the institute
FRIDAY on "Co-operation and Its Bene-
Ats" This subject Is the most vital
question that confronts the farmer TO-
day and Mr.. Dysart illustrated how the
farmer and dealer must cooperate to
build I'D the community. He also plead
ed with his hearers to keep the boy on
tn farm and to teach him the up-to-
date methods of farming. The follow
ing is the paper In full:
Cooperation is the act of co-operat-
il.g. TO cooperate is to act or operate
Jointly with another. or others.
The benefits of cooperation when
applied to the farmer and the retailer
are manifold, and in such paper as
this, | can only hope to skim the sur
face of great sea Of possibilities:
From the earliest history OF our
country. the farmer has been the p1on-
eer, with the retailer very close sec
ond. The farmer blazed the trail, ye,
he hardly had his camp fire lighted
when the retailer had his wagon, load
ed with the staple necessities Of life,
backed up to that camp fire ready to
barter and trade. ~
Later, as the country filed up with
farmers, the retailer established small
centers Of population, close to the best
communities of farmers, that he
might more easily reach great mum :
Der, and as conveniently located as
possible so that the farmer might
reach his place of business with as
little effort, and loss of time as pos
sible. The huckster's wagon did not
add much to the values in commun-
ity, but he was a retailer, and his In
terests were the farmers interests and
in a small way he helped to develop
the country. The hamlet grew to VII
lage, the village to town, and as the
transformation took place, the lands OF
the farmer increased In value. This
increase is largely due to the retailer
because the town is made possible by
the retailer He builds the churches
and the schools in the towns. and as
matter of fact is responsible for most
Of the progress made in the substan-
tial retirement Of conditions in the
town, and while some may question
this assertion, am quite sure it is true
of this and most other towns, and the
assertion capable of proof. The farmer
makes it possible for the retailer to
accomplish these things If he does his
plain duty to the community that has
given him all he has, and made him all
he Is. If today 1t were possible to take
from each Of us the things our COM
munity has given us, and done for US
and leave to us only the things we
have done for and given to the COM
munity, how many Of us would be
hungry homeless and naked? So by
working together great good is ac-
complished in the community. This is
cooperation.
The retailer OF today, more than ever
before, realizes that his world must be
bigger than the four walls Of his store
that he must take an interest in and
become factor In things that make
for progress, not alone In his home
town, but he must take an interest
and become a factor in conditions az
fecting the rural communities sur
rounding him in better roads, better
bridges, better schools and in all the
things that 20 to make rural communi-
ties better places in which to live.
The retail Merchants associations
have made 1t possible for the merchants
to materialize this interest. 1t has per-
haps been the best educator the re-
tailers has had. In their weekly meet
ings the discussions are not confined
to matters pertaining especially to the
retailers problem but more often some
matter Of great public interest is the
topic for discussion something that is
for the betterment Of conditions In
their community. They come to know
each better, their vision is broadened
thereby becoming better merchants
giving more of their time and energy
to community building for that after
all is what it amounts to.
The farmer with his institute and
grange Is working along much the
same lines. and Of course he is inter
ested in the variety and quality of the
seed to be put in the ground to obtair