The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1916-12-15
NEEDS AID
OF BUSINESS MAN
largest Cities cf the Country Are
Intimately Dependent Upon
Agriculture.
HAVE MANY CHANCES TO help
Urban Leaders Can Increase Produe-
tlon, Provide Better Markets and
Assist In Other Ways, Says
Secretary Houston.
BY DAVID r. HOUSTON,
Secretary of Agriculture.

secretary OF NBpSultelSs
Agriculture is the greatest single line
OF industry of the nation. Its annual
contribution to the nation exceeds ten
billions of dollars, while the total value
added to raw material by manufactur-
Ing does not exceed nine billion, ana
on at least two occasions the outpOur-
ing of products from the farms and
their exports have saved the nations
finances. The largest cities In the
land are intimately dependent upon
agriculture, and vast numbers of cities
and towns owe their existence and
well-beng practically exclusively to
it. The amazing thing is that so few
recognize this fact, or, If they recog-
nize it, act accordingly.
It was my fortune not many months
ago to have an opportunity to speak
to the chamber of commerce of one OF
our thriving cities. l had made some
study of its problems and progress.
l had certain views as to its relations
TO the surrounding country and the di-
rection of progress. Before speaking,
/ asked IL someone would tell me what
made the city, and the answer came,
"the back country" and this l knew to
be true. l then innocently observed
that, of course, as prudent business
men, they had taken steps to inform
themselves Of the needs and problems
of the back country, of the best ways
to foster a balanced agriculture and to
promote its well-being, that their bank
ers had intelligent views as to the
credits which should be extended and
for what, that they had taken pains
to see that good roads radlated into
the country districts, and that they
had assisted the farmers in solving
their difficult problems Of marketing
and distribution. l then asked If they
would tell me what had been done;
and n deep and significant silence per
vaded the room. This is one Of
many experiences and could, believe,
be duplicated in many parts of the
Union. That there should be change
or that the change which is beginning
to appear should be rapidly made, l
am sure you will agree.
Problems Are Numerous.
What, then, is to be done? Obvious
ly, first of all, new attitude must be
assumed and a sense of responsibility,
even on the basis of enlightened self
ishness, must develop. Business men
and business organizations must join
the other great elements in society
and become effective students of ag-
ricultural problems and efficient in
struments in bettering rural life. The
problems are exceedingly numerous
and sufficiently difficult to tax the best
thought Of the best men of the nation.
There are many things that CONNER
cial organizations and business men
may well consider. Each urban COM
munity might well, in cooperation
with leaders in the surrounding dis
tncts, undertake a careful survey for
the purposes of better production and
better organization. 1t may assist in
the securing of a good county agent |
where there is none and effectively CO.
operate with him. Business men and |
business organizations may help work |
out better wholesale and retail mar
kets for farm products, farmers COM
munity buildings may be planned and |
and good roads radiating
into the back country may be promot-
ed to mutual advantage.
What One Man Did.
Let me give you an illustration Of |
what 1 have in mind. shall give only |
one of many, 1t may serve to indicate
what the urban community, what busi-
ness men, may do almost anyhere in
the Union. Thirty years ago 1 knew
well a certain county in the South. 1
recall vividly the conditions then eX- /
listing. The farming was neither bet
ter nor worse than that in the section
generally. The better farmers were
fairly comfortably off. Those below
them were holding their own. Those
still lower down were living from hand
to mouth, their farming scarcely more
than a pretense. There was a busi-
ness man, a banker, in the county who
had vision and sympathy. He turned
his attention to the rural districts. He
began to see what could be done about
cotton. He established connection
with the department Of agriculture
and entered upon the work Of cotton
After a long and difficult
he succeeded in breeding a
seed that would produce an inch-and-a-
quarter staple. The next task was to
get enough farmers to produce the cot
ton and to create and to establish a
local market. But this was not all.
The cotton had to be properly ginned.
It was new sort Of product, and the
spinners had to be reached. Intelli-
gence and persistence won. I was in
that county a year ago. l found it a
sort of oasis. when cotton was sell
Ing at 12 cents a pound in all the rest
Of the South, 90 per cent Of all the
cotton in that great county was sell
Ing at from 10 to 20 cents pound. |