The farmer and mechanic., 1912-09-17
\ New Recognition Of the
Part Played in q Nation
by An Intelligent Rural
Population
FOUND By CLARENCE.
POE on HIS TRIP


three months European tour, hav-
ing visited Ireland, England, Swift
Zerland and Denmark.
Mr.. Poe declared yesterday that
the most striking thing to the Eu-
ropean traveller today is the new
recognition OF the importance Of
agriculture, the awakening every
where to the fact that prosperous,
intelligent, enterprising rural popula-
ton is the only foundation for a ma
tons greatness. In England, for
example, manufactures and COM
merce have been coddled and agri-
culture neglected until the alarmed
craftsmanship of the country, in both
the great parties, has seen that the
Very permanence of the Empire is
tenancy. The land is held in big
estates, a condition the law of prim-
ogeniture has helped to maintain,
consequently, the poor men have had
no chance to buy small farms, no
chance to become independent, and
have fiocked to the towns.
Now, Mr.. Poe says both parties in
England are promising to break up
the great estates and clear the way
for great democracy of hometown
ing small farmers All over Ireland
the government has helped the ten
the money at less than 3 per cent and
allowing them TO repay it sixty-six
years. Something like the same
plan is now proposed for England.
Such a policy is also at the bottom
of Denmark's wonderful prosperity.
'Or rather, l should say" MIR. Poe
added, that three things are respon-
sible for making the people Of Den
mark about the happiest, most inde
pendent most progressive have
ever seen anywhere on earth. These
three things are first, small farms
Nv hn hn
second, universal. compulsory edu-
cation; and third, the most thorough
system of business cooperation the
world has ever seen. Nearly ninety
per cent Of the farmers own their
own farms; everybody can read and
write, unless he is an idiot; and there
is hardly thing the farmer does
upon which he has not brought to
bear the saving power of organization
and cooperation,
In fact, the whole kingdom Of
Denmark is like one great agricultural
enterprise in which all the people are
stockholders. | visited farmers who
send their milk to a cooperative
dairy, sell their pigs to cooperative
bacon factory, have their eggs col
lected weekly by cooperative egg
packing society, buy their fertilizer
and supplies through cooperative
trading societies, borrow money
through cooperative credit societies.
aud get water through a cO-Opera-
tive water supply
Mr.. Poe tells Of seeing one such
farmer, for example, rolling up a
hefty bank account on thirte en-.
acre farm. He had lived in America
and over here he had a 16O-acre
farm.
''And do you now think 13 acres
enough in Denmark" Mr.. Poe asked
him.
Sure" he replied, 'I could gel
along with a little less; I'd rather no
to have to work 80 much
THE reason this farmer and thou
sands Of his fellow Is in Denmark car
make a better living on thirteen acres
than many Americans make on "a,
acres, is that he makes not on;
profit, as an American farmer makes
but three profits. He makes one prof
on growing the crop itself. the raw
material, then he makes anothe
profit for converting this materia
into butter, bacon, beef and eggs
Ing these goods direct to his custom
/ers, middleman's profits. Then OF
his big purchases he saves g9eat profit
buying collectively. In raj trOad rate
he saves much by shipping collective
ly.
In other words, he gets in profit
from dozen sources to which tn
American farmer pays out profits
and he concentrates time, though
labor and fertilizer on a small acre
age which is getting richer all tn
time, instead of dissipating it on
big acreage which getting poorer a
the time"
Mr.. Poe reports that he found til
best men in Europe keenlY intereste
in Woodrow Wilson's election. The
regard him as a new and promisir
type of political leader for a Ian
which they think has longe bee
cursed by politicians without col
structive ability or ambition. Roos
welt, who was once mighty hero
Europe, Is now widely distrusted
being too selfish and uncertain to
dependable.
THE Americans boast about beir