The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-11-13
Farm Bureau Notes.


A very interesting meeting of the
county agents and farm bureau OF
1lcerS was held at the court house
in Des Moines last Thursday which
was we'll attended. The purpose of
the meeting was to demonstrate the
value OF keeping the farm records
in order to figure the cost OF pro-
ductiOn and also TO estimate the in
come tax and how to properly fill
out the blanks. These meetings will
be carried to the counties and some
thing like the same program OF the
state meeting will be carried out at
county meetings. We are planning
to hold ten OF these county meet
lngs one in each town OF the county
some time in January and we are
to be shown in them than any other
one thing that we are trying to do.
The big thing that we are trying
to find out is the fact of what it
costs a farmer to grow certain crops
and what labor return he gets for
his and his family's labor in pro
ducing that crop. Can you tell what
yours has been in the past Are you
getting as much return for your own
man? DO you keep a record How
do you know that you are or that
you are not? These questions are
or should be vital to you. Watch
Tor the date of your meeting and be
prepared to attend.
We are sending out two more
orders for limestone this week and
we are hoping that several more
may be ordered before the offer is
Withdrawn on this free material. AS
at present the limestone may be had
for the freight costs and will not al
ways be Obtainable at that rate. Bet
ter get in your order for car of it
soon.
The time is drawing very near
when the county wide drive for new
members to the farm bureau will be
put on and we are planning to have
a membership Of at least 1900 in the
county when the final roll is called.
We will need a number Of drivers to
take care Of the canvassers when the
drive is made and we would be very
glad indeed if all those who would
donate their time and their car for
a day or more in their own i'm
trict for this work would either call
or write the county agent informing
him of this fact. We will have a
trained canvasser taking these men,
berhip in each townhip in the county
and we DO not think it will take over
two or three days to canvass the
whole county.
production lies within the power of
the farmer himself and until he
aWakes the crying need OF finding
this out for himself (nobody is going
to work this out for you unless lie
has an ak to grind and you will foot
the bilD just SO long will he con-
tinue to work in the dark. Only
about twice i'll the last forty years
has the cost Of production been less
away from the farmers OF the mid
die west the money made in the
raise of their farm lands and they
will have worked for nothing. The
long hours Of labor. the work Of
women and children; the work with
out wages or return on capital in
vested has been the only thing that
to pay for his land. In other words
if it had not been for the raise OF
his real estate in value he would not
have dollar more now than when
he started perhaps twenty or twen-
ty-five years ago.
There is only one solution to this
question and that is ORGANlZ-
Ask your self some of the burn
ing questions of the hour and see if
you can give an intelligent answer.
Here is one that but few farmers
can answer so that the other fellow
will believe what he says. Is the
farmer n proflteer? Can you
answer this question satisfactorily?
Can you tell the other fellow just
what it cost to produce article in
much at retail? Can you tell how
much you received for the article
and Just what each middleman re-
ceived through whose hands it went
before it reached the consumer?
Until you can do this you will never
make any progress toward solving
the H. G. L. problem. Why do you
sell your product for what the other
fellow tells you it is worth and buy
says you must paw for it? There is
no other class of business man on
earth doing business in that manner.
There is no other business on earth
that could be run in that manner
and survive the ordeal. Why?
There is food for thought in what
has been said above and if you have
and really wish to have a place in
the program of helping solve the
vital problems of the times you will
mediate upon what has been said
There is plenty of room for CO.
operation between farmers and bus
mess men whereby the cost of pro-
ducts of the farm may be brough
to the consumer at much less nrice
than he is paying now and this in
turn will helm the business man and
the laborer to produce and sell the
manufactured articles for less.
which, in turn. will helm the farmer.
The next stem is tho solution of
the problem: COOPERATION.
Think it over.