The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1918-03-01
TiIIer of Soil as Essential to Sue.
cess as the Soldier or the
Gun Maker.
IMPORTANCE REALIZED
Agricultural Interests Receive Early
Consideration From Public Safety
Commission-HeIpa and Inspir-
alton Given-State to
Double Production.

DeInocracy's principal ally In this
great war for the dethronement OF
Prussianism is the farmer. Though
| guns may thunder and cities crumble
| before the onslaughts of the millions
now engaged in the great cause, peace,
| everlasting peace can come only
| through the lowly tiller of the soil.
To the thoughtless this may not ap-
peal, but how inseparably the great
cause and the farmer are linked is in
| dicated in the unusual Difference be-
| ing shown. him by those directing the
| allied interests No battle Is complete
| without the farmer. God speed him,
| is the constant duplication.
Among the first of the state war
| units to recognize the importance OF
the farmer in his relation to the great
conflict was the Minnesota State Safe
| ty commission. Early was the consid-
| Grafton given the agricultural inter
| ests of the state by this body and in
| its twelve months of existence little
has been overlooked in the way OF
help and patriotic inspiration. Re-
turns in consequence have been many
fold and further help is contemplated.
| This year should see Minnesota's
food production doubled and as the
main source of that production is the
farmers of the state the task the Min
nesota safety commission has before
it can be appreciated. And that the
Commission will succeed there is lit
| tie doubt as 1t has the confidence OF
the farmers and they will respond to
man.
One of the most active of the Min.
nesota Safety body in an agricultural
way is c. H. March, vice president
| of the commission and farmer him.
self AS the head of the agricultural
division of the state organization both
his time and his money have been
| freely given in it's furtherance. Re-
| Gently Mr. March returned from
Washington where he went at the
instance of Gov. Burnquist and the
members of the Commission and his
visit was not only of value to the
agricultural interests. of Minnesota,
but to the entire Northwest. If only
the promise of an increased fixed
price for the 1918 wheat crop, which
was one of the objects Of the visit,
/ is realized, this Intervention alone
will be worth many millions Of dol
lars to the farmers of the state.
| At the command of Gov. BurnQuist
and the Minnesota Safety commission
Mr.. March placed before President
| Wilson and those interested in food
| production number Of things neces-
sary to the success of the farmers and
the additional production which Is so
urgently desired and was successful
to the extent that many reforms will
undoubtedly follow. Not the least
of the promises obtained was aid in
behalf of a substantial increase in
the government fixed price for wheat
and a partial return to state grain
grades which have been superseded
by federal standards. Acting on be-
half of the commission Mr.. March
pointed out to President Wilson and
his var aides the great work Mime
sofa farmers are doing and urged as
generous a government compensation
as other lines of endeavor are now re-
ceivIng. Such was only justice.
One of the early agricultural activi.
ties of the commission was the sup
i plying of farm help made necessary
by the draft. With the usual sources
of supply cut off by the national call
to arms the Commission at once took
over the free employment machinery
Of the state and much financial loss
was averted as a result This year
even greater plans are in preparation
for the harvest call.
Another of the early problems was
transportation and how it was handled
by the Commission is best told in the
thousands of freight cars that have
been forwarded to every section of the
state at the urgent call of farmers and
communities generally. Any dearth
in this respect has been kept down to
the minimum.
i One Of the chief features Of the
success of the Commission in an agri-
cultural way has been the confidence
it's activities has inspired. Education
and patriotic appeal, instead Of Of
fetal commands have been the main
feature of its propaganda and as a
result general cooperation is greater
than ever in the history Of the state.
Today the commission has more in
innate relations and is in closer touch
with the farmers OF Minnesota than
any other known agency.
4 With the opening of the new crop
year efforts of the Minnesota Safety
commission will be fedoubled in max
J ing it record breaker and there is
every reason to believe that the fond
est hopes Of those in charge will be
i realized. Anticipating such. plans
that will carry the commission well
into the harvest season are In ths
making and these cover every phase
~ farm wnrk and ntntn hnln.