The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-01-28
Numbered
BY LABOR SHORTAGE
BY Transportation Difficulties and by
Financial Problems, According TO
County Agent Abbott.

In a circular letter 10 the members o
the Washington County Farm Bureau as
ISOLATION, i, IL. Abbott the county agent
sets forth the progress made during I'll,
past year and urges upon the farmers
the desirablity of joining the Washing
ton County Farmers Cooperative ex
change. MIR. Abbott's letter in part is a,
follows:
ut seems fitting at the beginning OF
the new year, while we are engaged in q
world war for the sake of the future
welfare of all the peoples of the earth
that we farmers should take little time
/! for reflection as TO the welfare OF our
industry, thinking of what il has been
IN the past, its future possibilities, and
particularly its place and duty in this
/ struggle. We must realize that the rap
idly increasing population has placed in
creased demands upon agriculture to fur.
nish food and clothing, and we have met
these demands by the employment of
more scientific methods of production, by
crop specialization, by cooperation in
production and marketing and particu-
larly by making the same acres produce
more crops. During the past few years
we have been able TO meet these de-
mands gradually as needed, but now we
are confronted by sudden and impera.
tive demand for even higher production
At the same time we are handicapped
by labor shortage. transportation diff
culties, and by financial problems as il
lustrated by the unsettled and abnormal
market prices.
'What can we do under these circum-
stances? How can we overcome these
obstacles and meet the imperative needs
of the country and the world? This is
what is put up to us. We are the farm
ers, the men who are responsible for the
progress of our industry. We are called
upon TO make our industry do its part
1t is one of the main drivers in the ma
ehinery of war and the world progress
and we must make it go at steady and
reliable pace. We have used our man
power to its limit. II is no longer pos
sible to increase production by brute
strength and ignorance, but the Ameri
can farmer has proved himself resource
full in the past and by this same ability
we will make our industry fulfill the de
mands made upon it now. But, again you
ask, how can we do it? Here is the an
swer: By mixing good substantial |
amount of brains and gray matter into /
every farm operation to increase eff |
cheney in every department Of the farm,
making man labor and machine labor ac.
,omplish more; by careful and thought
full planning of the work beforehand; by
the use of machinery that will
ave han dlabor; and, particularly, by
cooperation in its general and specific
meaning, cooperation with nature, CO.
operation with the government, co-opera
ion with neghbors and cooperation with
,very agricultural organization to the
'ull extent. 1t is only by this last that
ge can make the most of the others.
''In the following articles of this let
,er, | have tried to put forth some sug
,estions that you can use in helping
he progress of the industry and in meet
ne the demands that have been placed
lpon it.
The Washington County Farmers Co.
operative Exchange.
''You are aware of the organization of
he exchange, through the press, by
meetings that have been held in every
ection of the county, and by circular
etters. You perhaps have some ideas as
o what il is and how it can help every
armer in the county. There are a few |
important items in regard to the ex
hange that YOU should have constantly {
a mind. as follows: .
81. This exchange is controlled abso-
ltely by farmers, farmers who make j
heir living from their farms, farmers
ho are progressive and desire to do all
nat they can for the general benefit OF v
ne agricultural industry. (
50. The object of the exchange is to .
clip every member to financial savings 9
nd at the same time to connect these .
wings with better agricultural methods j
that the final benefit may be greater. p
IS. All buying and selling carried on n
' the exchange will be done absolutely II
cost to the members and under the a
reetion of the board of directors, who |,
Get every month to settle questions n
I'd policies of the exchange and to direct =,
e manager in his work. In case OF any Ia
cess of money earned by the exchange,
ch money will be distributed among
ose who have done their purchasing or
ling through the exchange, in proper u
IN to the amount of business done by u
ch. This is strictly cooperative in the X
Ne sense of the word. le
Il. The exchange has been built upon ef
e experience of similar organizations OF
d has the backing of the laws of the
,te of Vermont and the United States m
vernment. as well as of public opinion. he
tn
ONE of the Things the Exchange Is ar
Prepared to Do.
First: Complete cooperation with the M
I'm bureau. BY this we mean that W,
len the bureau, through the county no
emit. has succeeded in finding some seed No
other material that is particularly nj
apted to use in this county, the eX-
,nge stands ready 10 take the matter =
and get the material for the men who -
mt it. This is working out particu- II
ly well in the case of the seed corn.