Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-10-26
QUESTION uPPERMosT WhER.
EVER CROWDS GATHER
TO CHAT.
HARD SHEDDING AHEAD
FOR THE SPEcULAToR
Successful Merchant and Farmer
From Experience Concludes Con-
sentative is Man Who Will Win
Out in End-Every One Hit by
Declines Thinks He 10 Hurt Worst.
rBy c. e. wilson,

rBy G. e. Wilson.1
Eldora, Oct. 26.-The ultimate ef-
feet OF falling markets and marked
down prices on farmers, business men
and others Is the topic most discussed
these days wherever people are found
in conversation. It matters little how
an exchange OF ideas begins. anything
from speculation on the weather
probabilities to the results Of the APP
preaching election, generally drifts to
the consideration OF what another
year or so will mean in q material
way to those who are directly inter-
ested In production and trade. A
business man remarked the other
day: "Have you noticed that every
one with anything to sell Is compialn-
ing that his particular line is too low
in price, while the purchaser Is COM
planning Of high prices all along the
line?" A horse buyer came to town
and started thru the surrounding ter
ritory attempting to buy carload OF
horses for the market. He bought ten
head and started for another section
complaining that the owners refused
under the cost of production. AT the
same time he fairly groaned over his
expense for hotel accommodations
and transportation. The same kind
Of talk is heard at every turn, the
one declaring prices under cost OF
production, the other regarding them
as prohibitive.
Mr.. G. M. Haas is an Eldora mer-
chant. He Is also q heavy land
owner, operating more or less direct
ly his farm holdings. Looking at
these questions from both sides he
advanced some ideas that appear
sound. Mr.. Haas divides farmers,
merchants and all into two general
classes. In the case Of the farmer.
the real farmer, who goes on from
year to year growing stock and staple
crops for the market expecting rea-
sonable prices and an ordinary profit.
and the speculative farmer who pays
a small amount down on an expensive
farm expecting the land to rise in
value or who is constantly shifting in
his farming operations. endeavoring
to realize ON some unusual price ieveI
and Of course meeting with disap-
pointment about Wo-thirds of the
time.
In the case Of the merchant he sees
the same division, the real merchant
who buys and sells for reasonable
profit and the speculative merchant
who, like the speculative farmer,
seeks to specialize in something that
will yield abnormal and generally I'M
expected profits. The next few months
this man believes is to be a time OF
particular hardship to these specu-
latively inclined beings everywhere
and one Of comparative safety for the
more conservative individuals of every
class. In short that the period of
speculation that has been prevalent
for several years is about to give way
to something more dependable. tho
less glowing and that It will be better
for most of us to have it SO.
All paths " Eldora lead direct to
the court house these days. where the
workings of voting machine are be-
ing explained constantly to crowds of
interested visitors, most Of them
women, altho there are generally
present few Of the sterner sex who
feel it incumbent upon them to brush
up In this not yet altogether familiar
manner of voting. Those in charge
declare that the presentiyear will see
q much better prepared list Of voters
than last year, even tho SO many are
casting their first ballots, for they In
sist that the female contingent comes
with, the sole purpose Of learning to
vote, while altogether too many Of the
men come to argue some point of the
process on which they are not crear.
One lady inquirsng the intent Of the
constitutional convention question re-
marked that an affirmative decision
would be a good thing. A bystander
suggested that 1t would cost several
thousand dollars Of state money,
whereupon the prospective voter I'm
mediately changed her mind. saying
she didn't care to be a party to any
further extravagances this year.
Bennett Putnam, an Eldora farmer,
last week hauled to town wagon
load Of oats that perhaps will stand
az O. record breaker for some time to
come-this as regards the number Of
bushels on wagon drawn by a team
Of horses. There were three sets Of
sideboards used and the load weighed