The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-02-24

SuilIIul IL - pdAtiL4AAg Il pIOAlsLAhS [
that nearly all the thought as APP
piled to politics. economics and social
reform has been an urban product
and that 81 little first-class thinking |
has been done on the life OF the coun-
tryman and OIL the problem of es-
tablishing the genuine rural COM
munity. and even after We have de-
yeloped the symptoms of premature
rural decay the real genius Of rural
community life has not yet appeared
i'm this country. We have Il multi
tud Of political leaders who are
ready to hand out volumes Of political
wisdom dealing with humanity as a
social organism in cities, States
nationalities. but the statesman who
has devoted so much time to the
study OF government Of empires and
10 the Organization of great cities,
has as yet treated the rural problem
only in it's economic relation and has
apparently failed to consider agri-
culture as a life as we'll as a business.
The Genuine Article.
When | speak of genuine com
muuity life" 7 refer to the kind OF
community that We have not as Yet
developed iii America except ia COM
Daratiyely few localities, and in these
ii has not reached it's best state of
perfection. Perhaps the most nota
BILE examples are found at Syea, in
'tiitidA Iiilll'SpAdt aItd ct EhShoht III
northern Minnesota, where there are
associations closely knitting together
farmers and their families who ave
common interests. These people not
only live iii the country but III or
ganizcd society. In their organized
activities they deal not alone with
the business side but with the human
side Of life. They could never have
Established a genuine rural community
without dealing with both the human
and business part of the life, because
they are So closely related that they
are ~inseparable. These farmers con
troi their own buying and selling.
Their organization markets for them
their eggs and poultry, their ream
and their live stock. 1t proCures their
farm machinery, their seeds and do
mestic requirements. They have their
halls for meeting places and their
allied farm woman's organizations
They sell the products of the wOfnen'S
industry. n have cooperative tele-
phone exchanges, bands, social gath
erings n concerts, and their pros
pectiye cooperative laundrieS, in con
nection with cooperative CreamerieS
promise further relief to the farm
nome of one OF it's heaviest burdens
that OF Blue Monday wash day
and as the population becomes more
dense tho cooperative bakery viii
come in as ~ important rural con
yenience, along with the farm home
water supply and electric and car
bid lights.
What Organization Will DO.
The possibilities and opportunities
Of a rural community broaden anC
expand after the cooperative see
has been planted and the Genuin,
cooperative spirit begins to develop
Community live stock breeding make
for better stock as we'll as better an'
more market relations
while cooperative fire insurance cut
out an ineXcusable economic waste
An organized community can also la
hold OF discoveries and labor savin
inventions which are out OF the reac'
OF the individual farmer.
The organization of the life an
business of Il community in such man
neT as to promote genuine communit
life Will. OF course, have its Difficult
ties and there will be enemies TO Ell
counter. The agricultural middle
man is about tho most powerful per
son OF his size on his continent an
he may rage f%uriously. He has here
tofore organized his forces to retail
his peculiar functions of tleecing tn
farmer as producer and the publ
in general as Unless til
supertluouS middleman in America
agriculture is eliminated there can
hut little hope for better farmin,
better business II better win 9
the farm. Farmers must organize
take complete control of all the bus
ness connected with their industr
They are manufacturers and as sue
are entitled To buy the raw materia
for their industry ut wholesale price
other manufacturers who buy, not
consume. but to sell again. get the
requirements on wholesale terms
every country in the world. u,
seeds, fertilizers, plows. Implement
etc, are the raw materials Of o.
industry which We use To produ
corn. wheat, beef. mutton. por
vegetables and fruits. and we are
much entitled to trade terms as al
other manufacturer. There will
rural decay as long as We persist
buying at retail prices and selling
wholesale prices.
The Essential to Community Life
There can he no genuine communi
life among who are OF
loosely knit together and have no {