Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1913-04-25
ABOUT FARMERS.
University Makes Study of One
Minnesota Township.


of the University of Minnesota has
made a social and economic survey of
one of the more prosperous rural
townships in southern Minnesota. The
reuslt of this study is about to appear
from the press in the form of seventy
FIVE page monograph including twenty
eight diagrams and nineteen photo
graphs. This is the first time that
so extensive study has ever been
undertaken of this kind. Important
chapters on conditions of work, mar
keting. roads, farmers organizations,
educational, religious and civic activi-
ties are set forth and reflected in first
hand information gathered in this
rural townhip. Some idea of the
specific topics dealt with and conclu-
sions reached may be gained from the
summary which appears at the close
of the monogram under the title Brief
Comments.
The township thus studied is be-
lieved to be Northfield township in
Rice County. The brief Comments
are as follows:
l. Machinery has decreased the
amount of labor required by farmers
but a changed type of farming has
made for additional work which can
not be reduced to machine process.
2. A "painstaking dependable class
NF lob So 70 enc
cessful farming as advocated by ag-
ricultural experts.
3. "The right kind of farm labor
is getting scarce and increasingly
difficult to get. -
4. The cause of this scarcity is
that foreign labor is no longer COM
ing in to replace the native sons who
"get some schooling and then try their
luck in the city or go where land is
cheaper
5. The floating hobo labor will
not tie themselves up for steady farm
work the year around. Hence the
hired help problem is the big farm
problem.
6. Less than fifty per cent of the
farmers read their farm papers: but
there is a growth of opinion that cit
IS we'll to keep up with the times in
farming as we'll as other things.
z. Many farmers regard it unfair
where they are charged prices high
enough to maintain a city delivery
service from which they derive nc
benefit.
8. Some farmers would like toabG
shown that the country merchants car
furnish economic service equivalent tc
what they get from catalogue houses.
9. A large number of farmers say
they are especially interested in the
daily papers because of what they learr
from the marketing page.
10. Many influential farmers fee
that they are helpless in matters Of
marketing unless the advantages OF
organizations are beyond the locaI
units.
II. Occasional failures or mistakes
among farmers have tended to create
feeling of distrust regarding the eff.
cacy of cooperation. This difddence
has not been sufficient however, tt
prevent steady growth in farmers
organizations.
12. Politically, farmers are les:
active than they were a generation
ago. Generally they feel that politics
are outside of their domain and tha
it is futile FOR farmers to concerr
themselves about affairs of state
13. Farmers generally read thei
local papers but believe an importan
service added if more attention wer,
given to issues vital to themselves.
IA. Each year the farmers of th
township could construct one mile 0
permanent road. bed, well drained an
graveled, for the amount of none
they now distribute over the township
if taxes were used according to tn
plans of the State Highway Engineer
Is. Those farmers who oppose cen
tralized control of road improvement
fear that outlying roads will be neg
lected for the benift of a few mai
roads of special interest to automobil
lists.
16. The farmers do not feel salts
fed with what the country school
have accomplished.
IT. The church membership Q
the township is thirty per cent highe
than that of the State. but the young
er generations are breaking churc
connections. Farmers maintain tha
'present day conditions on the farl
make it too hard to get to church Q
anywhere else. .
18. The increase of live stock hs
tended to decrease social activities
the country.
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