The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1914-01-03
CO. OPERATION THE SOLUTION
Only Possible Method Of Heading Of
the Rapidly Increasing Tendency
Toward LandIordsm.

All thinking men see and realize
that reform must come from the bot
tom up Then let us begin at the
bottom, the very foundation Of our
! civilization, the American farmer.
Let him search for and demand the
truth, put aside the plausible and mis-
leading arguments Of the capitalistic
| press, use reason and by cooperation
use his powers to demand and secure
prosperity, enlightenment and happl'
ness; for the possession Of these safe
guards the prosperity Of every legiti-
mate means Of earning a livelihood,
writes p, II, Boothroyd, Jr, in the
Denver Field and Farm. Cooperation
among farmers Is the only possible
method of heading off the rapidly in
creasing tendency toward landlordism
and peasantry toward crowded cities
and neglected farm lands,
1t is the only solution because farm
ers can no more stand alone and un-
organized before the organized forces
Of every other business, than could
undisciplined and unarmed masses
hope to stand against fully equipped
army 1t is the only solution, because
the farmers must look out for them
selves as every other class from the
railroad magnates to the bootblacks
are doing. Study history, think rea-
son and we can arrive at no other
conclusion Cooperative banks and
credit societies in Germany, under
only one Of The three systems in use
in that country, are annually doing
business without mortgages and at
rate Of five per cent, and less inter
est, Of over $i6OOOO00OO,
Cooperative societies among the
Irish farmers have in 20 years raised
them from the dupe Of the loan
sharks who charged interest as high
as 80 and sometimes even 100 per
cent-to a position Of profitable in
dependence Not much over q cen
fury ago the peasant farmers Of Den
mark were pitifully poor Today 80
families out Of every 100 own their
farms and Denmark has more wealth
per capita than any European coun'
try and more evenly distributed
wealth than any country In the world
The Wisconsin state board of public
affairs investigated these conditions
in Denmark and found them due to
two things; FIRST land holdings easily
obtained, not high land values, and
second, universal cooperation,
The farmers Of Denmark are the
most thoroughly organized in the
world. They buy sell, study, market
and slaughter stock and pack their
meats comparatively Our farmers
must not walt until reduced to peas
antry TO make use Of the only success
full antldote to corporation The only
successful remedy which history re-
cords or reason dictates s co'opera'
ton broader than partisan politics.
broader than class prejudice, over
riding all selnshness and greed and
helping and uplifting the tolling
armies not only on our farms and
ranches, but also those other tollers
and wealth producers In the shops,
minos and factories
Truo cooperation has ever lowered
The price TO the consumer while rails
Ing It for the producer and hurts only
the mIddlomen whose numbers were
moro or profits greater than the sery'
ice they performed Justified, Already
scattered throughout the country CO.
operative enterprises are being oper'
ated TO great advantage We already
have In this country close to 3,OOO |
farmer elevator companies having
100000 members hundreds Of cotton
warehouses; and the numerous CO.
operative stores In the southern states
are saving the planters millions OF
dollars annually while cooperative |
croamcfIcs and fruit growers assoc
Citations are operating successfully In
many Of our western sections Money
saved by buying and selling In car
load lots In rapidly educating the
farmers Of many sections to grooter