Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-08-30

The meeting was held under the aus
pices of q local church. The first
speaker was q city minister who urg-
ed the farmers to support the country
church with more vigor and more
cash. 1t was at the point of the
"more cash" that the discussion
which followed seemed to center. At
ter considering the average labor in
come for farmers in this section of
the state there seemed to be general
consensus Of opinion that the church
would not get its just share of the
| farmers income until that income
could be materially increased.
Good roads as a solution to most of
the problems of the farm was next
discussed. A local buyer of beans
urged wider use of this crop as a
means Of increasing the money in
come Of the farm. A prominent po-
tato grower of the district followed
by saying that he believed in beans
and urged his neighbors to raise them,
and then added very significantly,
"And, while you fellows are making
one dollar on beans l will make two
dollars on potatoes" This speaker
also startled his hearers by telling
them that one of the greatest evils
of the district was too much cattle.
His argument was that large pro-
portion of the farmers were allowing
cattle to crop the land too closely.
Immediately following this speaker
came the leading live stock man of
the community who emphatically de-
clared that the bane of the entire
district was lack of cattle, both in
numbers and in quality.
Then came the inevitable topic,
marketing. This was discussed from
the cooperative standpoint and was,
of course, proposed as the remedy for
nearly all of the troubles affecting
the farming business. The women
and children were not omitted from
this varied and comprehensive pro-
gram. A pithy, pointed and sugges-
tive talk was given on the subject of
the possibility of cure for the
drudgery of the farm household.
Boys and girls clubs were also dis
cussed. In fact potato club for
boys was organized and a garment
making club for the girls of the COM
munity quickly followed.
These two clubs for boys and girls
constituted the only definite result of
the conference. What the indefinite
results will be cannot be estimated,
for it could be plainly seen that the
community was cropping to find itself.
Over two hundred people came in the
morning and stayed in the little coun-
try church until late in the afternoon.
Everyone was eager, not only to lis
ten but to take part in the discus
sions. The most significant element
of the entire conference was unmfs-
takably the lack of program. Here
was a Live, enthusiastic community
with plenty of leadership but no pro-
gram. To prove that the leadership
was there one needed only to witness
the eagerness. with which those who
were elected on tn advisory board of
the boys and girls club accepted
their responsibility. Again, one need
ed only to see the fervor with which
each speaker contended in favor of
his cure for the problem to be assur-
ed of the dormant leadership.
If such communities could agree
upon a program the day of better
things on the farm would be hasten
agreement? The writer believes that
the time must come when all members
of a community must decide upon a
few of the vital needs of that COM
munity and then devote themselves
vigorously to the attainment of the
goal which they have set. For exam
pie. if this community could decide
that its three most vital needs were
better live stock then every member
of the community would know what
every other member was striving for.
1t might take twenty years to follow
such a program and get results but
it would be worth one hundred years
of effort without a definite goal.