Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1917-01-18

men Of the town when driving in
the country see the weeds in the
corn, the broken fence posts, the
slack wire, the scrubby- looking
cattle and hogs, the gullies that
might easily be stopped, the
boards off the barn, the gate on
one hinge, the implements in the
blue sky shed and the house thaht
needs paint.
On nearly every farm is some
thing that we know should be
different; if you go by quickly,
it may be all that is noticed. Then
the business men sadly shake
their heads and think how shift
less the farmer is. The bankers,
lumbermen, implement dealers,
druggists, dentists, lawyers, and
grocers all have their conven-
tions to talk over theih own bust
ness. Nearly always the farmer
is factor in their trade, so they
talk about the, farmer. Then
most every town has its CONNER
cial club where the members of
these groups and the real estate
men and spectators unite to
boom business and the town.
Here again the farmer is vital
factor, so they talk more abui
him.
In the meantime, the dairyman,
| the livestock improvers, the corn
Igrowrrs, and all the different as
lsociations of farmers meet. and
lin their sessions almost always
arises the fact that better stock,
silos, buildings, machinery and
fences cost money. Whether or
moi we have that money, the prof.
it or loss of our operations de-
lpcnds upon whether we get our
share OF the consumers dollar.
SO there they talk about the mid
Idleman. In the farmers insli-
tulcs the same question comes
up.
Then some organizer comes
along and gets a number of far
liners together, very often just to
lrant about the middlemen para
sites--thcir wasleful ways, their
combinations and price setting
their attitude of superiority and
general cussedness all around
and how we must eliminate all oil
them.
A lot of the farmers go home
: and ddream of the time when far
Emers will be free and independ-
ent, each of them owning his
farm individually. and all of then
collectively owning the town anG
all therein. This will include moi
only the store, lumber yard
creamery, implement house an1
garage. but also the banker, the
blacksmith, butcher, baker and
all storekeepers of every kind
These will be price settlers nc
more and will not have any
measure Of Independence; the,
will be just hired men. Maybe WI
: will learn to work together vel
enough tbstake things over after
awhile, but we shouldn't get tn,
! notion that the process will begi1
or stop just at the town limits.
All this while we have wei
established and very general,
accepted principle of common
Justice That no one should b.
condemned without a'hearing.
is a pity that generally we wal
until we get into a law court be
fore we feel any obligation to ap
ply this principle.
This leads to the conclusion
= that we need a general clearin
y house for ideas, where farmer
y and business men of the town ca
: meet to discus the things i
. which they are mutually inter
ested, boost for the things upo
y which they agree, as we'll as tr
TO locate and eliminate their diff
y ferences. If the other fellow
u criticism is unjust it can be mt
: and answered. If it is just, W
N need to know it, even though
hurts. BY the same token, if GU
IL criticism is unjust we need I
u know it, and if it is just, th
g other fellow needs to have
g hammered home before all mel
= age business men thinks
u knows it all and doesn't cred
| the farmer with any sense at al
g That some business men do seer
q to act that way is true enough
II but if we do no more than TO ap
y Perhaps most farmers will sa
% that it is no use, that the aver
pland the rantin gorganizcr Will
" he lambasts the parasites at
safe distance, are we doing any
II thing to increase the respect G
:. business men for US?
u Moreover, if we approach tl