Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1919-05-22
EXPLAINS FARMERS CLUB.
Lester J. Miller Secretary of Organ
izatiOn Writes the Ledger.
To the Editor of the Ledger:

To the Editor of the Ledger:
At the present rate of progress tbs
time is not far off when fully so PEI
cent of the farmers surrounding Mex
leo and throughout Audrain Co, gen
orally will be part and parcel Of the
great Farm Club movement which is
now sweeping across Missouri ard
which bids fair to become the most
powerful farmers organization the
Corn Belt States have ever known.
The activity in Audrain County at this
time is only sample of what is going
on in every nook and corner of the
state.
In view of the above facts it is not
strange that many people and esp5c-
tally the town merchants are asking,
"What does the Farm Club Movement,
Mean? Where is it Trying to Head
in and Does it Indicate War Against
the Country TOWN."
l could best answer this question by
saying that the Farm Club Movement
is unlike any other previous Farmers
Organization. Instead of advancing
in desultory fashion by organizing
here and there as was true of the old
Grange and the Farmers Alliance it
makes clean sweep as it goes ordin-
arily taking into its membership 80
per cent of the worth while farmers of
the community. Again, it employs no
paid organizers, but depends entirely
upon an aggressive local farmer lead
crship as was witnessed recently when
the membership drive was made in
the territory surrounding Mexico. As
soon as given county has sufficient
members, County Farmers Associa-
ton is formed with a paid secretary
in charge, who puts in his entire time1 I
looking after the needs of the. organ
iZation. Over and above it all is the
Missouri Farmers Association which
is presided over by two directors from
each Congressional diStrict-and this
Association is the big Stick" which
drives all the big deals for the hun
dreds of individual clubs and for the
various County Associations. It is
also the power which formulates all
the statewide policies and directs
them.
The average town merchant has
to fear, for the Farm Club |
Movement is as different from the
Farmers Store ventures, as day is |
from night. The Farm Clubs take |
over the handling of all classes of |
feeds, flour, coal, binder twine, COM
mercial fertilizers and salt for its |
members-but beyond this they do not |
invade the local commercial field.
What then is the real object in |
view? In a nut shell it is the purpose
of this new and powerful organization
to obtain complete CONTROL over the
movement and marketing of the farm
ers grain live stock and produce in
order that the farmer may be placed
in position wher he can compel the
payment of ''Production Cost, together
with a reasonable profit for the fruits
of his labor. You will readily see that
the carrying out of this policy means
more money in the farmers pocket and
hence more money to spend with the
local merchants and more to deposit
in the local banks. Therefore intead
of looking aSkancc at the Farm Clubs,
it is to the decided interests of the
business men to extend the glad hand
to those who are behind this great
movement and in every other way to
assure them that they, concede the
same right to the farmer which the
Business World and Organized labor
appropriated to themselves a long
time ago. Beyond the slightest ques-
tion we stand upon the threshold Of
the greatest Farm Organization move
ment the country has ever known-not
an irresponsible thing without a head
but movement controlled first and
last by the best thought and the cool
est judgment that can eminatc from
the nearly seven million farmers who
dwell in this country.
LESTER J. MILLER, Sec'y.
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Saya yOI1Y. r1onnv