Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1913-02-28
Why Should Not the Farmers r,
Operate?

operate?
The farmer Is the only class :,
large economic Importance thai \
not compaetly organized for its o,'
protection and progress. He buvs a.,
sells, and conducts all his bpsino..
as an individual without any reyo,
for the welfare of his fellow farmo,
He accepts without successful M,
test the price fixed by Others 81,
what he produces. He pays the pri.1
fixed by others on what he buvs u.
does not fix the price upon eitbo,
what he buys or sells.
Economically the most importa,+
member of society, the farmer. b.,
nothing to say about the terms unde
which he will work. Cooperating M.
might easily remedy this situatjo,|
and become an efficient business ma,
as well as an efficient producer.
Cooperation Will Help to Deyelm|
Leaders
The great need of the rural distric,
is capable leaders. This is the fir,
real step in rural progress. ThessI
leaders must be found among tb.|
rural people. There has been i
notable lack of leaders in the counl
try, not because men and wome,|
capable Of leadership have not been
developed among the farmers mainlI
because the farmer has refused to bI
led. The laborer in recent years hal
been easy to organize and easy N
lead. The farmer has always beer
difficult to organize and difficult HI
lead. The laborer has been ready n
reward his leaders and has been mi
tensely interested in the cause al
labor. The farmer has been preipI
diced, suspicious and in no particu.I
lar degree interested in the cause III
agriculture. Politically he has bee
inefficient. His devotion to party III
general has been greater than his del
votion to occupation The goverrI
ment thus far has failed to formua4|
an agrarian program because thlI
farmers have been divided politicalhI
and content to vote mainly on citI
problems.
A characteristic of the manageI
n ent of our great railway systemE
and of all successful big business II
that of recognizing merit within III
own ranks and rewarding this mer
with its prizes. By this means tn i
railways and other big corporation
have been able to attract and to hol
the best talent of the country at com
paratively low wages merely for thl
chance at the larger opportunlt|
ahead.
We must not, however lose sigfE
Of the fact that the largest and mos
important task is to encourage TIL
country people to help themselyaE
This strengthens; to help them de
stroys. They must be taught how q
render effective community serVicE
Up to this time the farm has beeI
looked upon as merely place fOf
making living. 1t is too much u
factory and not enough of homeI
The farmer has regarded the tow
or the city as the place in which /
spend his money and his leisure.
Institutes must be established i
the country that will satisfy the RI
QUirements of all the mem bers of taI
family. There must be communilT
tasks if we are to interest and hof
the best people in the country Wiuk
out task a community is a decadeit
rural village. Oberammergau, VIII
the Passion Play as a communilt
task has held its best people, an
has commanded the attention OF VI
world. The annual rendering OF %
Messiah" at Lindsberg, KansaI
has been a community task larsI
enough to hold the best stock
that commit unity for more than
third of a century