Evening star., 1920-03-21
BY ARTHUR CAPPER.
[. y. ScuatOr From Kansas.

the next twenty-five years will be
the motor truck on the farm. l am
interested in it because it relates 10
the development of the great west and
the great western industry-agricul-
ture. In my own state OF Kansas we
have made much progress. or at least we
nave gone as rapidly as any other
state IN the great west, IN adopting
the farm truck for agricultural pur-
poses
The truck manufa curing industry
is not only important because of the
extent of it's physical and monetary
resources. but also because more and
more each day it is becoming essen
tally allied with future development
OF the agricultural interes-S of Ameri
ca The day of the power farmer is
at hand. 1t is to him that we ,urn
in answer to the worlds cry for great
er production. He alone can supply
us with the necessities of life and
assure our essential national integ-
rity. But he must be given tools
worthy of his task
The motor truck. because of it's
adaptab;lity fleXibility and it's cndur-
ance. is one of the chief requisites in
any scheme of power farming. Let
me set forth for a moment the pres
ent status of the farmer in America
and the position that he occupies in
relation to the wealth and economic
stability of America. And in in.li-
eating this position / hope to in1i-
cate some of his present and future
importance as buyer AMI user of
motor trucks
Over Half Are Farmers.
Fifty-two per cent of the population
OF the country is engaged in farming
Nearly $4,000, ,00o. 900 represents the
investment in farms and their equip
ment. a sum that is equal to the
total capital of any three other ma
jor industries that might be cited.
These two sets of figures are quoted
because they indicate roughly the
tremendous potential market that is
found among the farmers of Ameri-
ca. The average buying power of the
American farmer has. during the past
four years. increased from $500 to
$1,000 a year. over 100 per cent.
the city man still remains approx
mately. at $500 a year. Two-thirds of
all farmers in America own their own
homes. Contrast this with the knowl-
edge that two-thirds of all city dwell
ers rent and do not own their own
homes. Farming is profession, and
despite many exceptions to the rule.
profession which is passed from
father to son through many genera
tions. In other words. there is per-
manency both about the profession it
self and about the men who follow
it. The farmer is therefore perma-
nent citizen, a permanent power for
good in the community in which he
lives, and a permanent factor in any
prognosis .of any market for almost
any product you might name.
But before considering in any
greater detail the possibilities of the
farm market, it should be understood
that conditions may soon arlSe-ln
fact, are already in eXistence-that
will seriously limit this market un-
less stringent steps are taken to pro
feet the farmer, and to assure him
decent return on his investment. The
farmers productive power is the
measure of his absorbtive power as
buyer of any commodity. And unless
some readjustment OF Vaiues is Ell,
fected whereby the farmer VIII ge,
his full, share of economic justice ano
an adequate return for his products
the future buying power OF tnf
farmer of the country Will be Sc
riously limited. l-..-.,.
TO Spend Twelve Billion.
Reyertins to buying conditions
this years crop figures ana returns
alone indicate there is waiting Io'
expenditure in the sixteen mid west
ern states, for instance, buyins
power Of more than s12.ooo;ooo. GOO
exclusively mobilized from the croI
and live stock returns or the 2,oVo.oV'
| midwestern farms. Such a ouylne
power as represented by these ns
ures could wipe out our national wa
debt of 100000, 100000 in two ant
| one-half years.
| will cite some of the concrete
| evidence of the substantial financla
| interest that the farmer has in auto
| mobile vehicles. In Iowa lot lnstanS. h.,
| with a population of 2,524,771, ther'
| were in 1919 2So.0o0 motor cars, o.
! one car to every IS persons. These
| figures are we'll rsatched by statistic
/ for Kansas. one car for each SO per
| sons; by Nebraska, with one car 10
1 every 73 persons; by South Dakota
| with one car for every s.S persons
| In the entire sixteen states SIT
! uated in the great alluviai pains
! the Mississippi, there were in June
1 1919, a total number Of 2.357.s20 mo
| tor cars. or one car for every Il.
| persons.
The United States Department o
| Agriculture estimates today tina
/ more than 10000 motor trucks ar
farm-owned. Kansas, my own state
may serve. perhaps. as typical of tn
| situation Here we have a farmin,
population which owns 191,436 moto
cars. but only 9.315 motor trucks:
I; The moral that can be drawn fror
these contrasting figures / shall pofn
out now. OF course, the answer IRE
distribution of motor trucks in thi
territory is that the American farme
is not vet completely converted to tn
idea Of power farming. This migh
indeed have been very true four
| five years ago. But today he has
/ fast absorbed this ides and has s
| quickly put it into practice that W
| can no longer accuse him of being un
; converted to the idea of greater pro
ductiveness through ann extension o
power farming: The tractor manufac
! turers and distributors know ho1
I rapidly the tractor market is growing
!, Today the cry is not Educate tn
i farmer to the idea of the tractor" bu
4 For heavens sake. manufacture fas
enough to supply the demand Sell u
+! tractors"
i Let me cite another illustration
i Since last spring it has been almos
| impossible to supply the demand TO
! automobiles in this same farm mar
| ket The medium weight medium
priced car, used or unused. has bee
/ at an absolute premium. This is no
i because the farmer is given over t
| the dubious delight of automobil
4 joy-riding; quite the contrary. Wit
! it's quickness and fiexibility as op
| posed to the horse-drawn vehicle, tn
| automobile, both as a carrier an
| hauler, is an absolute necessity to tn
! farmers business. In fact. a recen
| investigation showed over U5 per cen
! Of farmers bought their cars not TO
i pleasure. but for business.
4 Point to Own Moral
! These facts point to their own mora
I 1t is my humble opinion that too man
] manufacturers have been intrigued b
1 the somewhat immediate and wait
i ing market of the cities. which, afte
i all. is only legitimate and to be ex
Il pected. But such truck sales pollc
Il followed too long and TOO exclusively
! leaves ignored and neglected the vast
I! ly stronger and much larger in all 1t
i ultimate and potential values, tn
ii farm market of the country.