The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1918-01-22
NOTABLE TALK BY PRESIDENT
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CONTINUED From Page 81
He reverted to the details of organ
ixation, saying that when they pro
posed to put 100 autos in the field to
organize, farmers approved but when
IN order to defray expenses, they sug-
gested charging Sic for two years
membership some farmers kicked He
said that they pointed out that the
aiockage for things like seed for which
no allowance was made, but from
which the millers got more profits
per pound than from the wheat they
could more than pay the dues and
ahey readily all joined, especially after
At was shown that they were really
DOSING the $1,000 a year on the av
-erage Forty thousand joined last
wear, five thousand have joined since
and the other five thousand will be in
1his year. He said that they stuck to
It At this point the speaker took up
ahe mail order house proposition, say
ing that in North Dakota they agreed
with the argument that money should
be kept at home, provided that the
merchants and town people would CO
operate with them and enable them to
keep at home the money filched from
rhem by the milling trust. Those mer-
chants saw the point He said Your
average merchant OF business man /
am not criticising, but | am simply
discussing things, explaining why we
are here. and ! don't want anybody to
believe a thing ! say unless they un-
Cierstand why l say it. 1t is true
business men buy all the goods they
handle at wholesale and sell at re-
tail. They buy a wagon at $75, we
say, l don't know anything about the
prices; he adds $25 we say for a prof
III. then add the cost of freight, the
sent. the insurance, depreciation. cost
Df handling, profit for themselves;
that is business, that is profitable
business That is the only way hey
can do business and be able to live,
the profit they make by buying at
wholesale and selling at retail. That
IS not the way the farmers do bust
ness. You buy everything at retail
and sell at wholesale, and you still
stay in business"
He deity insinuated that the wives
Of many merchants were sending to
the National Cloak & Suit company
Tor goods while the wives of farmers
sent to Sears-ROebuck. He resented
4he discrimination implied in the
phrase Farmers and business men"
as an intimation that farmers are not
business men.
ing with them the other few worked
against them; of this he said:
1--WE talked to them in a different
way We talked to them through the
stomach I want to emphasize the fact
chat there were not great many mer-
chants of this kind There were only
certain communities where they were
strong There we're some towns in
North Dakota where everybody in that
town was for the farmers candidates
20 bring about better conditions in
North Dakota
He said that three years ago, a
man named Lofts went to New
Rockford, n. d.. to talk to farmers
and the merchants had locked up ev-
erything and tried to prevent a meet
ing, which, however, was finally held
an a garage. The farmers went home
angry. The local paper, the Chronicle
attacked the farmers. In reprisal
they remained away. and presently
She town was on the verge of bank
ruptcy Finally. realizing their mis-
take, they got into autos and invited
the farmers to come to a meeting
and invited Lofts back and had {
great meeting, at which they amply
apologized for their conduct anC
roundly cheered the speaker.
"After the meeting the farmers anC
their wives brought in the butter and
eggs and re-established friendly re
IatiOns between the farmers and mer
chants Of that community and nov
everything is lovely there and thu
merchants and farmers are co-operat
ing. But they are not cooperating
the way the politicians want them to
they are cooperating the way the far
Eners want them to. Now when thu
farmers want to hold a meeting in thu
town. they call up the president O
the Commercial club; he hires tn,
nall. builds the fire, sees that tn,
janitor cleans the hall, and every
body has a good time.
II am not advising you farmers {,
use any drastic measures upon an,
merchant or politician or newspaper
It is not necessary for you to do vic
lance to anybody. ] don't want yoi
10 kill anybody. ] want to make i