Semi-weekly herald., 1913-02-10

SSAS~N1fee ID SOtnphS~ ahu PupioHeu
every one can easily see exactly how
much property of every kind is in
each county, and the various kinds
ana amounts of wealth that each coun-
ty produces. Pamphlets containing
this information are distributed free
throughout the state every year, so
every producer knows what his COM
! petitors are doing, the prices they
get, etc. That is the kind of infor-
nation prospective settler wants,
and if our Colorado boosters are wise
they will work for similar law.
A law of that kind in Colorado,
would not only be the means of at
tracing many new settlers, but it
would go long ways toward estab-
fishing harmonious relations between
farmers and dealers and at the same
time it would save much labor that
is now wasted. For when buyers and
sellers are equally well posted on sup
ply and demand the farmers will know
what to plant, and they will have no
reason 10 quarrel with the dealers
about prices when they market their
products The advantages of such a
law became apparent to the farmers
in the San Juan basin three years ago,
when they organized to get fair prices
for farm produce, but so far they
have been unable to get law of
that kind passed. They have holler-
ed long and loud for it, and when the
business men who belong to the San
Juan congress came to feel the need
of statistics they promised to aid the
farmers along that line, but so far
nothing has been done.
A law requiring county assessors
to gather farm statistics was passed
by the legislature of Colorado in 1883,
but it has never been enforced. When
Prof. Cottrell of the agricultural col
!ege was holding an institute in Du-
range ! asked him why the law was
ignored by the secretary of state, the
county assessors, and the state board
of agricultural, upon all of whom it
appears to be mandatory, and he
thought it was because the law con-
tanned no provision for paying the
assessors to do the work. But it seems
the professor was mistaken about that
bei1G the cause, for last week john
u, i enling, the dean of the law school
in the state university, wrote me chat
he could see no valid reason why
that law should be ignored by our
executive officers. However, to cure
any defect that might be in the law
he prepared an amendment to it.
which ! sent to Mrs. Agnes Riddle
tie secretary of the state grange, who
il now member of the Legislature
hut it seems she will not be able u
get the law amended by our present
IL gislators unless the farmers and the
&C numerical clubs of the state aid her
with their influence. So now is the
time and that is the way for Mr.
Herbert N. Casson and his big boost.
er club to get us a law on statistics
similar to the one in Kansas. The
farmers need it and every one whc
tries to boost needs it. If the leg.
islature refuses to pass a new law
OF amend the old one, steps should be
taken to set the old one in operation
anyway. 1t may not need amending
and if that is found to be the case
the governor, the attorney general
and the district attorneys should see
that the officers whose duty it is tt
carry it out get busy this spring. Il
this important matter is longer neg
lected it should be made politica
issue at the next election.
: BARNEY HAUGHEY.