Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1912-01-18
For 4 Greater Missouri.
Facts About the Forthccming State
Convention Of the Federation OF
Missouri Commercial Clubs.

"The forthcoming state convention of
the Federation of Missouri Commercial
Clubs which meets at Jefferson City on
January . and - should mark a new
milestone in the Agricultural, Industrial
and Commercial progress of Missouri.
The Federation was organized at lianni.
bal last summer and means consolia-
ton of all the Commercial bodies Of ,iC
state into one concrete fighting force.
Briefly, these are the things winch this
statewide organization has in view: First,
to organize All advertising campaign
which will bring the farmers of the
Cuited States to realize the true merits of
Missouri AS an Agricultural State.
secondly, to impress upon the capital
lists and manufacturers of the country
that Missouri located here in the heart
OF the great Mississippi Valley-in the
heart Of the Corn Bet in the very heart
Of the Republic itself-witn unlimited
stores of coal, lead, zinc, iron ore and
lumber deserves to become in the not dis
tant future the greatest manufacturing
state i'll the heart OF the Nation.
Third, to promote "A closer intimacy be-
tween our own people-to bring our
towns and cities, Our railroads, manu-
facturers, merchants, farmers and every
interest, big or little, closer together in
order that we may understand each otl,e,
better and CO operate more effectively in
promoting our great commonwealth.
During the last few years, the lure o
the Southwest, the Dakotas and othe,
sections have caused thousands of farm
ers from Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio ant
other eastern states to cross Missour
without even giving our farm lands
passing consideration-saying nothing
about thousands from our own state VIII,
in similar manner yielded to the blan
dishments OF clever real estate promoters
As a result, the census told a hurniliatin
story about Missouri. One great troubl
with us has been that as a people we hav
never realized the true greatness OF GU
, own commonwealth and few comparis
ons in this particular may not be out {
place. Kansas is hcralded far and wild
as one Of the great wheat states of th
Nation, and great as it is in this respec
4 the wheat crop Of Missouri in 1911 WI
, only little over 10000 600 bushels b,
h'nd that of the SunRower state, and "
> nobody hears Missouri talked Of as
5 whea, state. Kansas IS also great cor
state. and yet in 1910 Missouri not onl
= checkmated her corn crop but piled III
900, 900 bushels on top Of it. Had o,
1910 corn crop been 'oaded into box car
o0I bushels to ths car, it would Ia,
V made continuous line of freight trai'
e reaching from New York to San Franci
i CO and would have flied a side trsc
from 81. Louis to Kansas City. Nolot
ever hears Missouri talked Of as minir
state and yet our animal mineral pr
= dnction is not far behind that of Color
Z io---one of the greatest mining states
the Union. Nobody ever hears Mlssou
referred to as a lumber s,ate and yet
1910 our lumber products sold for ST.
y0)OO0, which puts us in the class wi
,e the big lumber producing states of d
country. Nobody ever heard Missor
referred to as cotton state and yet Ia
e year we produced nearly fonr times
rs much c'tton as Virginia and only iii
t. less than Floriia-one OF the chief cott
We producing states among the smaller col
, mon wealIhs Of the South. In the Il
few years Tobacco growing has been
III vived in certain ssctions and We are p
ne dIeing sSr,e Of the tinesi tobacco gr"'