The St. Joseph observer., 1920-02-07

membership VI approximately OVtVVN
Of the most progressive farmers in
Missouri. No doubt the reader has
heard of the Farm Clubs. When they
first started out several years ago
there were many who believed they
would prove another "flash in the pan"
as so many farm organizations have In
the past. But today they are not only
beginning to grip the state with bands
OF steel. but some Of the foremost
farm journals In the Country profess
to believe that the Farm Clubs of Mis-
souri, present the long sought for plan
Of farm organization and hence are
seeking to introduce them into other
states.
What is the Farm Club plan. you
ask? In the first place don't get it into
your head that 1t is a Farmers Store"
movement On the contrary, the Farm
Clubs are friendly to the Country
Town and hence their Constitution
and Bylaws throw a mantle of pro-
lection around such leading lines OF
merchandise as groceries, clothing,
dry goods, hardware, shoes, farm i'm
plements, lumber, etc. The Farm
Clubs however do take over such in
cidental lines as flour, the different
kinds OF feed such as bran, shorts,
cotton seed meal and cake, linseed oil
meal tankage, cattle. hog and poul-
try feeds, commercial fertilizers bind
er twine, farm seeds, silos. coal, salt,
automobile tires, tubes, etc.-in short,
within a few exceptions the commod-
tiles taken over are such as usually
constitute side lines with a grain ele-
vator and thus the great staple lines
of merchandise which constitute the
backbone OF the Country Town are
left unmolested.
: But the real purpose of the Farm
Clubs is revealed in their slogan,
production cost, together with a rea-
sonable profit for the fruits of the
. farmers sweat and toll" In short, It
is the first time in the history of
l
organization has ever deliberately
started out to get control of what the
farmer produces in order that he may
no longer be compelled to pay the
other follows price for the things he
buys and accept the other fellows
price for the fruits of his yearly toll"
Here you have the Farm Club faith
l in a nut shetland this is the reason
3 why intelligent farmers from one end
of Missouri to the other are flockins
to this new organization by the thou
very simple. The Farm Clubs do not
employ paid organizers because they
believe that farmers have sense
, enough 70 organize themselves, once
the right kind of plan is placed in
their hands-and hence all that Is
necessary is TO address a letter to the
Missouri Farmers Association, Colum-
, bia, Mo-, when literature and COM
; plete instructions will be supplied free
. of charge. Then the interested farm
ers call a school house meeting and
organize a Farm Club. Usually few
leading farmers from the adjoining
l. districts are invited in so they may
perfect Clubs also. From the very
= start the idea is to get rs or so pei
cent OF the farmers around a given
shipping point into the organizatio
imme diately-and frequently this 1:
D.. done in two or three weeks time Ther
as soon as a given county has 1000 ol
more members, a mass meeting is held
and at this time a County Farmers
t. Association is formed with a pait
" County Secretary in charse-and thi:
Secretary looks after the interests Of
all the Clubs in his County. In thu
It meantime, the Missouri Farmers As
e ISOLATION. the parent organization. 1!
S the "Big Stick" which drives the bis
o deals and fights the larger battles o.
the Clubs of the entire state-makins
all in all the most compact and eff
fective farmers machine" ever de
NtlOpeu III the Cnlleu oldtes.
II
Money In the Farmers Pocket
And now we will assume that 75 2,
or 500 of the farmers of your com
e munity have been brought into tn
= Farm Clubs, when the following pro
d gram is started in motion: First, re
J. member that all Farm Club member
as soon as school district Clubs ar
organized are placed in immediate
position to buy their flour, mill fee,
and other feeds. coal. tankage, salt
:. commercial fertilizers. binder twine
automobile tires and tubes at tn
wholesale price. At this writing W
l. are buying the best of flour at Sl2.5
is per barrel delivered anywhere in Mis-
~ souri,. Compare this with the retai
price you are now paying. Also W
quote shorts at $2i5 per cwt an