Omaha daily bee., 1916-12-14
FARMERS DISCUSS
NEW STATE CAPITOL
Editor Sturgess of Twentieth
Century Farmer Tells Dele
gates to Shun Poor Help.
ELIMINATING MIDDLE MAN

To build or not to build a state
capitol is one of the subjects with
which the farmers attending the con-
vention of the Nebraska Farmers
congress are at present concerning
themselves. The resolutions commit
tee, which will probably report Thurs
day, is trying to thresh out the mat
ter. -st o.
A resolution passed to them by
Delegate Stoner of Webster county
calls for opposition to the capitol
building plan. Henry c. Richmond,
representative-elect from Douglas
county, went before the committee
Wednesday morning with counter
resolution in, which it points out that
the capitol building has become an
tiquated, inadequate, and. with no in
surance, is a constant hazard to our
state library, and suggested action by
the farmers congress, urging the IN
coming legislature, to appropriate
money for the construction OF new
building. @
Editor Sturgess Talks.
7. F. Sturgess OF Omaha, editor OF
the Twentieth Century Farmer talked
during the morning session on
farmers organizations and why some
are failures. He touched on the high
cost of living, the high prices the
farmers are getting for their grain
and produce and brought in discus
sion OF the middle man. But" he
said, you are not the only people
who are thinking OF the middle man
The consumers are thinking about
him and are working for the elimi-
nation OF the middle man as far as
possible.
However, the distribution system
is not a neighborhood affair. 1t is
worldwide affair, and quite often
when people speak OF eliminating the
middle man they don't know what
they are talking about. They must
take into consideration the product.
Lumber can be handled fairly direct
ly from the producer to the consumer,
but on the other hand there are small
er articles which must be imported,
must be handled by many persons, be-
fore they ultimately reach the con-
surier. 1t is not profitable to buy
these in large quantities.
No Robbers Wanted.
There is a legitimate place for
most middle men, but there Is no rea-
son why they should become robbers,
So Hong as the middle man takes A
reasonable profit we have no quarrel
with him"
Mr.. Sturgess, touching on the work
Of the farmers organizations, de-
clared that the reason many of them
are failures is because they hire in
competent help at low wages.
Carl Z. Slatt OF Edgar, represent
ing the Farmers union, spoke also on
failures OF the farmers organizations.
He declared that the press and the
orators have done SO much talking
about the farmer being the only indc-
pendent man that he is beginning to
believe it, and that this very idea is
making him hard to handle in an or
gariization.
c. Z. Gallagher, president of the
Midwest Implement Dealers associa-
ton, talked briefly to the farmers, out
lining the sisal twine trust situation
and inviting the delegates to attend
the convention Of the implement men
and their show at the Auditorium.
He told the farmers they must
unite and send protests to congress
regarding the constant increase in
the cost Of binding twine, or they
would find themselves paying $751;
100000 more for twine in 1917 than
they did in 1915. He said Nebraska
a year ago was the only state from
which the farmers had personally pro-
tested to congress against the high
cost OF twine.