Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-08-26
THE FARMERS NEED
MORE RAILWAYS
Continued from page one.)

lies with the farmers. The farmers
of this country are for the first time
in our history commencing to study
their own business and looking out
for their interests. They are begin
ming TO handle their own business in
the same way as other business in
terests handle theirs.
ID. H. Doane, head of the farm
management department of the Uni
versity of Missouri, in discussing
this question before the Texas Farm
ers' Congress last month, said that
business is simply organization
under a working plan to accomplish
a given end; that if a farmer buys
$50 acres of land and equips it with
tools, stock, etc, he would have an
investment of ten to twelve thousand
dollars; that it is hard for a man
to make a fair living for his family
on that amount of capital invested
in any business. Therefore, ne con-
tends that successful farmer needs
to use his business Judgment in his
work as do bankers, grocerymen
merchants or millers, as the farmer
has more problems to meet and
keener competition. The biggest
single factor in the farmers bust
ness, if he makes a success, is con-
venient and adequate transportation
for marketing his products, other
wise all such farmers are doomed to
fail, or to be satisfied to exist on q
less income than is necessary to
properly care for and educate their
families. Such educational work by
men, agricultural Institutes and ag-
ricultural journals is producing re-
suits, and the railroads are devoting
their efforts in many ways to aiding
the farmers in their organization
and cooperation. The work is adj
vancing rapidly and being felt in
every state in the nation. Bankers
and merchants are beginning to be-
come interested and are talking on
the subject of agriculture at their
conventions. 1t is, therefore, only a
question of a short time until those
engaged in political life will have to
give these questions more serious
consideration, and will realize that
the expansion of the farming indus
try and transportation must nov to-
gether.
"The crippled condition of IL ag-
ricultural expansion which we are
now approaching in the Southwest
ern states, above referred to, is
shown by the fact that from 1900 to
1910 there were built in these states
1850 miles of railroad, an average
of 1850 miles a year, and this fiscal
year just finished there were only
built in those tates AIS miles,
which shows that railroad construc-
ton has practically ceased in this
agricultural belt, which is in effect
limiting the farming area and MAX
ing a greater scarcity Of foodstuffs.
eve have this important question
of more and better farms and more
railroads to carry their products to
the makets of the world, and we also
have three candidates for the eXecu-
tive head of the government, and
none Of them has treated this sub
jeot in the broad, comprehensive
manner that would indicate a full
appreciation of what it means to the
agricultural interests both from in
crease in production and expansion
of marketing facilities. Their lack
of reference Il the subject in their
respective speeches Of acceptance
was in marked contrast to the way
they emphasized other present day
economic questions."-New York
Times, Aug. 10.