Baxter Springs news., 1919-07-04
Equal Responsibility for Their
Support Rests Upon the
Farmers and Merchants.
MUST ASSIST EACH OTHER
Prosperity os Community Depends
Upon Each 0f Theso Two Glasses
Buying Products and Goods
% Each Other.

tcovyTikht, 1917, western Newspapsr union-l
The first essential In the develop
ment Of any business II the possession
of a market. The manufacturer must
have A market for his products or he
cannot succeed, no matter how valu-
able those products may be or now
efflciently his plant may be operated
The wholesale merchant and the 70
tail merchant may have the choicest
stocks Of goods, but they may as wen
10 out Of business n they have not Q
market where they can dispose Of their
stocks. The farmer may produce
bumper crops, but they will rot upon
the ground II he cannot find q market
for them. The wage earner's skill ana
muscle bring him no returns unless
there is a market for his labor.
The question Of markets Is the big
one IN every line Of business and In
every community the question Ii q
vital one. In each community, which
must be taken to include not only all
the people who live In the town but
the farmers who live In the surround
inE. country as well, there are two
sides to the market question. The buH-
ness men Of the town must have Q
market for the things which they have
10 sell. Otherwise they cannot con-
tinue in business. At the same time
the farmers must have q market Tor
the things which they raise or they
may do well 90 out Of business.
when Either Fails Both Suffer-
The merchants Of the town can pro-
vide a market for the products Of the
FARMERS and the farmers can provide
q market for the goods which the mer-
chants have to sell. As long as each
class of citizens provides a market for
the other class all II well and the goose
hangs high, but when either class falls
10 provide q market for the other the
goose Is cooked, not only for the class
which 10 deprived Of the market but
for the other as well.
The farmer has q right to expect the
town which 10 his natural trading point
to provide q market for his products
and the town is not performing Its
proper function % the trading center
Of its community II II does not see
that such a market II provided. The
responsibility Of looking after the ful'
fllment Of this obligation rests largely
upon the merchants Of the town. The
farmer Is q producer and he must dis
poae Of his products before he can be-
come a consumer. II Ia. therefore, not
only right but necessary from busi-
ness standpoint that the merchants
should aid the farmer in turning his
products into money. Otherwise the
farmer naturally win have no money
to md In the stores Of the town.
Obligation on Farmers.
On the other hand, the merchants OF
the town have q right to expect the
farmers to provide o market for the
merchandise which they have to sell.
and the farmers are not doing their
duty TO their community II they do not
proyide such O market. In this case.
also. It b not only right but It is nee
essary to the prosperity Of the farmers
that they should aid the merchants In
turning their merchandise into cash.
Otherwise It IL obvious that the mer-
chants win have no money with which
to buy the products Of the farmers.
This is O double-barrefed proposition
ana the obligation rests equally upon
both the merchants and the farmers to
maintain the markets which are essen
tial TO both classes Of citizens. Any
town which would import from points
hundreds Of miles distant the farm
products which It could buy at home
would bO pursuing q very shOrt-sighted
policy, for It would BE- making It Inn
possible for the farmers IN its terri
tory to. buy the goods Of its mer-
chants. Az q matter Of fact no town
does this unless II Il forced by unusual
conditions to do 20. A town may be
located IN O community which is not
productive enough to meet the local
demanal, and IN that case II is forced
to import farm products hnt the town
which IL compelled b DO this b at
q dlsadvantage from . commercial
standpoint unless It IL essentially q
manufacturing town. IN which case its
products are sold to other communi-
ties and bring In enough cash to ofset
that which q sent away 10 purchase
farm productA
Must HAM Outside BuSlRssa
In the average community, hQwever.
the town Il dependent for its pros
perity upon the money received nom
the turner's In the ordinary ehannelA
Of trade, rather than upon that Oh
:. S.n~ - a. - u4uraN.