The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1915-09-04
WHAT F. A. MEYER SAID
ABOUT LOCAL CONDITIONS

readers to say whether or not the
writing of E. A. Meyer is a true pic
ture of the conditions in Stark county
where many settlers are building
large barns, houses, granaries and
buying automobiles and none hiring
at a rate Of interest greater
than 10 per cent, the maximum rate
in North Dakota.
The Fargo Forum of August %
says:
There is a big movement on foot
in this state to array class against
class, the farmer against the man in
the city. Those who are backing this
do not make any bones
about it. They come out in f1at-foot-
ed statements. Read this from an ar
ticle in this weeks Cooperative Her
aid by E. A. Meyer, an "organizer"
for the Equity Cooperative exchange:
There is great crop in Stark
and Slope counties. Prosperity?
Yes, for the towns, but scattered
over the prairies are the sod shan
ties made of the virgin sod and
tar paper covered shacks of the
pioneers who have labored eight
to ten years against the elements
of drought, hail, exhorbitant in
terest rates and the chamber OF
commerce and still live in the
primitive sod houses. Under an
equitable system, they should live
in comfortable modern homes:
Some few were comfortable and
have comfortable homes. The
settlers go to town, not in auto
mobiles, but drive the tired hors-
es to one-hoss shays or wagons.
Dickinson, the Queen of the
Prairie" is a hustling city. Fine
business blocks and dwellings,.
Built out of the sweat and unpaid
toll of those who live in the sod
shanties of the prairies.
And then Mr.. Meyer draws this per
picture:
Travelling as l did the past
three weeks from Fargo to Bel
field and back in a Ford, living
with the farmers in their humble
homes, l was in a position to feel
the pulse of the real live flesh and
blood tiller of the soil. How diff
ferent it is from the dope perned
in the office of the editor OF
farm paper who interviews the
farmer who rolls up in an auto
mobile and talks about his farms,
profits and contentment:: The
man l interviewed was "the man
with the hoe" The man who
with his family went into the will
derness and carved the home by
his own and his family's efforts.
The tired faces, prematurely
wrinkled, backs bent with a load
of care, worries as to whether he
can hold the old homestead
against foreclosure by the IL per
cent money shark. Their wives
and children toll in the fields
like beasts of burden to raise
wheat that is often sold below
cost of production. Much wheat
was hauled 40 miles under 75c
per bushel. These men are in
vast majority. These men and
women are asking, why should
these conditions be. These men
and women are not contented and
heaven forbid that they should
be. These people know some
thing is wrong. They know that
the grain gamblers and their
blood sucking system is to
blame, together with the local
grafters. ,.,.
| Is that a true picture of condition
in North Dakota? Is there any COZ
siderable part of the farming con
munity of this state in that condition
The Forum would like to know.
! the conditions are as Mr.. Meyer h:
pictured them, then indeed it is tin
for radical remedies.
But The Forum would like to ha'
| Mr.. Meyer more specific. Why n
name some of the communities whe'
this condition obtains? Let's hay
some names, Mr.. Meyer.
| Where and when was wheat hault
forty miles and sold under rs cents
bushel?
The Forum has been giving consi'
cradle publicity this summer to ce
tain communities in this state whel
the farmer in the country and tf
city man in the city are working-n'
against each other but in the utmo
harmony and cooperation and whel
| the farmers themselves told of the
prosperity under this plan.
Have the farmers in those conlmul
tiles made mistake by co-operatin
with the people in the cities? ,.
Mr.. Meyer concludes his article
follows:
Booster clubs of business men
say "don't knock-boost." Let
the emblem of equity be a ham
mer signaling 'knock:" Knock
any and everything that is foisted
upon the producers to this loss:
Business men talk about build
ing up the town. Well, let us
knock a while and build up the
country. I ..,.5
| Secretary Orchard Replies
In the Forum of August 81 al
peared the following reply to tt
Meyers article by Secretary job
Orchard:
In the last issue of The Co-Oper'
tors Herald E. A. Meyer, an organ
izer for the Equity Exchange, drew
vivid picture of grinding povert
under which he claimed farmers (
North Dakota were living. tt
| T1.,,,,,, ,,orrod,,ood ,,orf of this artic