Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1913-08-01
COOPERATION BIG NEED, SAYS POMONA
Continued from page H.

This is the situation in the poor
mans case.
The man of the present day is not
seeking the farm unless he has failed
at everything else. Why should man
spend from 10 to 16 hours day on
farm when he can make just as much
at something else in half the time?
When potatoes are $40 per ton, can
man ship them to Aberdeen, about
so miles, pay $40 per ton freight, and
live?
| Can a man plant an orchard, spray,
cultivate, assert, box and market his
apples for so cents per box?
Can a man plant bed of strawber-
ries, cultivate and care for them a
year before he gets a crop and then
sell his crop the next year for so
cents per crate?
Can a man pay $3.50 per day to
hired help and live on the above
prices?
These are few of the conditions
that l speak Of Another is in regard
to some of our laws.
| A man cannot sell few berry plants
from his field without license.
| A man cannot build a new building
without being fined every year for it.
| Can man pay per cent taxes and
live on the usual income that most of
the farmers of Thurston county get?
One party in his reply to the afore-
said letter said that the way to over.
come this trouble was to deal direct
with the consumer. That Is true in a
sense, but suppose 100 farmers could
lpeddle their produce and supply the
|City of Olympia, what would be the
result If 200 should try to peddle their
produce? And suppose these peddlers
should increase their acreage about so
per cent?
The law that governs the sale of
produce or rather the price is, supply
will supply market, what is the re-
suit If 500 crates are dumped on that
market?
Distribution is one remedy but the
method Is the problem.
Planting and growing the proper va.
rieties and kinds of crops is another
remedy.
Cooperation is, I think. the only toay
to toOrk out a successful system for
, practical and profitable farming.
Many of the farmers of the present
day are set in their methods of farm.
ing, many are Indifferent. many are
ignorant. many are dishonest, many
are selfish, many are farming only be.
cause it Is the last resort of livelihood,
many are ranching, or camping on the
farm, many are specializing, and thus
we find conditions.
/ The Grange, / think, Is one of the
best ways by which the farmer can
: educate himself and until he does ed.
ucate himself he will find he is the
scapegoat Of all other industries, the
one that they expect to do the work
i. and feed the other fellow.
The Grange should work in harmony
with our schools in educating the chill
dren, for to them we must look for
results. 1t will take time and energy
4 on the part of those who are trying to
, bring about this change and when
they think they have about rounded
up the crowd there will be another
: break or stampede and it will look az
Y though the work will have to be done
. over again.
Whenever farming Is looked up ia
by the public at large, whenever the
s city man can take the farmers hand
and class him as his equal and when
;. ever the United States government
: will give the farmer his share of rec
ognition, and whenever the income will
equal that Of other industries, will the
t farmer come to his own, and God has
/. ten the day!
!. H. P. BRIGGS.
Master Of Thurston County Pomona
Grange.
Apparently we do not need more
farmers in this country as much as We
i need better farmers. How about it's
: AIR. Briggs right? Are those the prob
lens you have to face? Are those the
> Questions you bump up against in the
. work on your ranch? And if they are
las he suggested the right solutions.
Think it over, That is the only wa,
J. you can decide this question for your
0 self, and when you have decided or Il
there are some points about which yo,
e are little confused, write The WASH
. 1NGToN STANDARD so it can publish
II year letter and perhaps some othe1
Is rancher-scme other farmer-who ha,
L tucked up against the same thing cal
d help you out.
II There's nothing like trying-it's tn,
IL only way to find out--and the STAND
< AID Will be glad to hear from you.