The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1913-05-30
FRIDAY, MAY 80, 1913.
Hon. L. C. whittet on the Market Bill.

Hon. L. c.. Whittet of Edgerton, who
was one of the most valuable members
of the assembly Rock county ever sent
to the legislature, writes Gov. Hoard a
letter in support of the position he had
taken against what is known as the
Governors Market Bill, offered by As
semblyman Mahon.
My DEAR GOVERNOR:-l was very
much pleased to read your letter in the
Milwaukee Free Press wherein you ex-
pressed your opinion upon the so-called
Market Commission Bill. | am glad to
know that such a champion OF agrlcul-
tural interests as yourself dlscerns this
as merely a sop to catch votes.
1t has appealed to me that should
this measure become a law, 1t would
ultimately mean the elimination OF the
retailer in our small cities and villages
and the substitution OF new Middle
man controlled by political commits
sion. 1t is a we'll known fact that IN
our business life of today IS per cent OF
all retailers fail. The governor well
points out in his special message that
the tendency of the times is for the
bows and girls to leave the rural homes
for the larger cities. Surely, they do so
not because the cost of living is less or
because wages are higher. To my
mind the reason lies largely In the fact
that our young people are given added
pleasures, more strenuous social lie,
all of which appeals to them. Eliminate
the retailer from the small cities and
villages and the rural social centers
become but watering places for the
steam engines as they pass through.
This bill would surely intensity the
situation the Governor suggests and
which he would remedy. Itneeds but a
casual glance to convince any observer
that today our small cities such as
vour home town and mine are the
social centers of their respective agri-
cultural communities. To injure the
welfare of such cities means untold loss
that it is impossible to estimate IN dol
lars and cents. Iowa, an agricultural
state. shows Enthusiastically the ten
dencv of the times for | am told that
the last census report shows a loss OF
something like II per cent III popuia-
ton during the last decade. Illinois,
although showing material gam IN pop
ulation. as a state shows upon analysis
that Chicago and the other large cities
have been the gamers while the rural
districts tell the same story as Iowa.
1t is my thought that there is far
more in this life than the miserable
dollar over which men are going mad
and | do not suggest or admit for
minute that the Governors proposed
plan would be benefit to either the
producer or the consumer from tinan-
cial point of view, for firmly believe
that specialization is the law of the
age and we must have middle man of
some kind, call him what you will. 1t
is the welfare of my boy and my girl
which most concerns me, and trust l
may be able to keep them in Gods
fresh free air away from the allure
ments of city life with all its attendant
penalties.
The high cost of living will never be
solved by market commission. The
problem lies with each and every lndl-
vidual. Were we content to live as our
fathers lived, we would not have this
present cry. This is all too familiar to
you.-Fort Atkinson Union.