Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1916-07-06
TWO WELL KNOWN
UNPOPULAR MEN.
The Soil RObb0r and the
Community RObber.
SOME FARMERS ROB LAND.
Which 10 the Greater Robber, the
Farmer Who Robs His Soil or the
Man Who Robs tho Community? IA
Glorious American Privilege - Time
to Pause and Consider.

Glorious American Privilege - Time
to Pause and Consider.
copyrighted. 1914. by Thomas J. Sullivan.I
There are many and various kinds OF
robbers loose today IN this land OF
plenty. but perhaps the two most un-
popular OF them are the soil robber and
the community robber-the farmer
who r0bs his land OF its producing
strength and the consumer who robs
his community OF It's dollars.
The high grade, successful farmer IL
the one who increases rather than d.
minishes the fertility Of his land. Ev-
cry year he changes his crop with that
one object in view. He subscribes for
and reads very carefully the agricul-
tural reports. paying particular atten-
ton to the reports on experiments made
by advanced and progressive farmers.
Why he does this is plain. He knows
very wen that 1t would be useless to
plant good seed in wornout soil It's
his wish and intention to make a profit
on his investment in seed and labor as
could not be accomplished il the soil
were not fruitful.
Bleeding Homo Communities.
Today there are hundreds OF thou
sands OF American citizens who are
bleeding their home communities by
taking out OF the channels of local
trade the money needed to transact
business and sending IL TO dealers who
do not and who cannot by any posi-
BILE means return IL to do its proper
and necessary work in local business
circles.
The big city mail order houses that
sell goods at retail through the medi
um OF catalogues to farmers and 9th
ers all over the country buy nothing
from their customers. They invariably
exchange goods for money. never
money for goods. They employ no
labor in the communities where their
customers must earn their living; they
buy no farm products; they own no
real estate: they pay no taxes: they
have no money on deposit in the local
banks; they do not advertise In the
local newspapers: they do not give
credit; they do not even pay the freight
on goods they sell Every cent taken
by them out Of the community is per
manently lost to the business OF that
community
These are all plain and evident
truths, are they not?
We would ask this very same farmer.
who would be insulted were he charg-
ed with neglecting TO keep his soil en-
riched to the highest possible degree.
to explain how he can deliberately
rob his community by buying his goods
from out OF town concerns.
Farmer Planted In Community.
The farmer plants seed in the soil.
and In order to produce results be must
keep that soil fertilized Being him
self planted in the community, be does |
his trading in a foreign city and there |
by assists his community In becoming |
poor
Why should this farmer have great
er respect for the seed which he plants |
than he has for himself. his family or
his neighbour
There Is community in Minnesota |
in the center of which is a city EN-
bracing about 10000 people, and il is
estimated that some
thing more than 100000 annually is |
sent from there to mail order houses
for the purchase of goods which could
Just as we'll be secured NJ the home
stores.
This estimate is based on the figures
secured from reliable sources in the
aforementioned community - that is
from the banker. the express agent
and the postmaster.
This. perhaps. is the strongest evil
dence OF "robbing" "A community.
The answer TO the above may be
that man has a right to buy where
he pleases 1t is his money he is spend
ing. and he has the right to send IT
away If he wishes. particularly IL he
feels that he is to be the gamer
thereby.
A Glorious American Privilege.
Quite true. In this glorious America
IF ours every citizen is privileged to
consult his own pleasure in spending
his money He can spend il or hoard
il up. or he may contribute ii for the
purpose of building monuments 10 the
memory of great men No one can
lawfully dispute that right