The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-01-22
Continued From Page One.

summarize form and still further en-
HANGED in value. :,
Hence factories hum and roar in
cessantly, giving employment to mil
lions Of skilled and >unskilled work
men, but the soil supplies these fac
tories with raw material. Railway
trains move about over our vast do
main like flies on a screen, but the
farms supply the freight. Banks over
flow with gold and silver M mer-
chants traffic in wealth, but their
principal commodities are, first Of oil,
directly or indirectly, coaXed from the
soil by the farmer with his imple-
ments Of husbandry.
The Soil and the Farmer.
1.-THE soil and the farmer, without
question, are the two indispensable
factors Upon which the prosperity of
the nation rests. Other sources of
wealth there are, such as forests,
mines, and fisheries, but all combined
represent but a fraction of the nation
al wealth, when compared with the
products of the soil.
eff these observations are conceded,
n doubtless they are, the question
doing by way of reciprocity for the
services. the soil and the farmer are
giving to the country?
What are we doing to conserve the
fertility of the soil and to insure the
independence of the farmer? What to
prevent soil exploitation and to estab-
lish and maintain a permanent agri-
culture? What are we doing to
popularize agriculture as a vocation?
What to help make the farmer big in
enthusiasm and vision and SO con-
versant with science that the forces
of nature will obey him and kali his
work?
Some Of these are pertinent ques-
tions. The belief is entertained in
many quarters, that the American
states are utterly prof1igated Of their
natural resources and equally regard
less of the social business n political
status Of their rural citizenship. This
sentiment, or criticism rather, Is
predicated upon the belief that what
is Indispensable to a country's pros
perity, Gin this case agriculture),
should be developed to the very ut
most, both for it's permanence n
it's desirability as a vocation, but
which is not being done. Fol- merely
sentimental reasons, it is apparent
that any vocation under any sort Of
ban will fall into dispute. Where
large investments in the aggregate are
necessary to serve private interests
and the public welfare, those making
the investments and rendering the
service should, at least, rank equal in
business as well as in social n
political affairs with those who profit
by the service thus rendered.
The Farmers Investment.
Speaking directly for the United
States, the farmers investment in
land, livestock Inc farm implements
exceeds SAL, 900, 900, 900.
This is approximately one-third Of
the wealth of the nation. The farmers
representation in congress, however, is
negligible. The profitable end Of his
business also, is managed for him.
In both instances he is but little more
than a mere cipher.
The products of all the farms ap-
proximate, in value, $40, 600, 600, 900
annually. This tremendous volume Of
new wealth is turned annually into
the channels of trade and commerce
at prices fixed, not by those producing
it, but by alien business interests that
hav organized their own systems of
distribution, which are quite frequent
ly inimical to the welfare of the farm
err. The farmer must take for his
products the prices offered him, and
that without He himself
may be to blame; nevertheless, this
handicap exists.
at has been con~servatively esti-
mated that about 65 per cent Of the
consumers dollar is taken by the mid
dlemen INC transportation companies
for their services - services incident
to distribution - leaving only about