Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-03-30
FARMERS, ELEVATORS FARMERS SCHOOLS

The cooperative organizations
known as farmers elevators meet the
needs and find approval among farm
ers. If the farmers who belong 10
them ara to be credited-and they are
the farmers elevator pays:
They must pay. One company not
far from Marshalltown hired man
ager a few years ago at $75 a month.
It is paying him 1880 a year now.
It Is merely question OF organiza-
ton and co-operation. If there were
ten farmers elevators in that town
ship they couldn't pay the man $1,000
a year. He would have gone long ago
to some other and more prosperous or
ganization who could pay the man
what he is worth on the market. He
would have taken his experience with
him. AS it is both he and the farmers
elevator company is profiting by all he
has learned, by his intimate knowledge
and understanding of the conditions.
the men with whom he deals and for
whom he deals. Garry it on out. 1t is
easy.
Now II it works like that in one or
ganization, If a farmers elevator is
the better for good man at good
wages, why not the school? Why isn't
a consolidated school better school,
why shouldn't school grow as the
elevator grew in higher usefulness and
why shouldn't man develop his worth
and find his field and get his wage in a
consolidated school as in a consoli-
dated selling and purchasing agency!
Some Of us, entirely sincere and
seemingly sure Of our ground oppose
| school consolidation. Some Of us quite
| as sincere and sure Of our ground op-
posed the farmers elevator. Some Of
us honestly deprecated the rural mai
| route as useless and unjustifiable ex.
| penditure and were certain that Il
would not endure. Some Of us refused
to hear the cali OF the farmers tel.
ephone line-and afterward scrambled
hard to get on a line. And all Of III
were convinced and had our argument:
satisfactory to ourselves at the time
Now school consolidation is coming
We can not get away from it any NOR,
than we got away from the mail route
the telephone or than some of us les!
than century ago got away from tn
railroad. Like other innovations it ha.
the right Of eminent domain over u!
and our present prejudices and con
victions-because it is evolution.
Let us understand that this Is not
local movement. The United State
board Of education Is urging it. 1t Il
4 the conclusion Of educators and o
thoughtful men who are wont to stud,
causes, effects and evolutionary move
ments. The Conference Of Educator
in the South which meets next week a
Louisville will make Il systematic at
tempt to organize the social. economic
and educational forces in the rural dis
tricts Of the United States.
Those in charge Of the Louisvill
meeting believe that the way to organ
ize Is to organize. Instead OF merel
talking about 1t, the various groups Q
farmers, business men, country wome1
preachers. doctors, editors and schoe
workers, will constitute themselves a
organization for immediate work.. Jus
az II they were organizing permonent
ly. They will c5opt constitution an
by-laws, and 60 thru the regular orde
Of business OF cooperative associa
lions, 20 that those present will b
able to start similar organizations i
their home communities.
The leaders will bring blank form
1et; "A ;;;::.s !.::> ::c!g all the I'm