Imperial Valley press., 1920-05-24
CCopyrightl


acutely the fact that, except under
very unusual conditions, their commu-
mites will prosper and develop only
in proportion to the prosperity and de-
velopment that comes to the farming
sections which surround them. Real
izing this fact, commercial clubs and
chambers of commerce have in recent
years been devoting as much Of their
attention to developing the country
districts as they have to securing new
industries and attracting new resi-
dents. They know that as the coun-
try about the towns becomes more
thicEly settled and as the farmers be-
come more prosperous the more money
will be spent in the towns and the
faster these towns will grow. 1t is
largely for this reason that the resi-
dents of the towns and cities have
been doing more and more TO aid the
farmers in growing bigger crops and
in improving marketing conditions.
The towns and cities have contributed
more and more literally toward the
building of good roads in the country
districts and have paid large part
of the expense of maintaining agri-
cultural experts to assist the farmers
in growing bigger crops and getting
more money out Of their crops when
they are placed on the market.
Not One-sided Proposition.
But this is not a one-sided PROPOSE
ton. If the city Is dependent upon
the country, so is the country depend
ent upon the city. What the farmer
raises is worth absolutely nothing to
him unless he can sell it at price that
will pay him fair return on the
money and time invested in its pro-
duction. The farmer, without mar
lets, would be in the same fix as a
storekeeper without customers. In al
most every case the farmer is de-
pendent upon the nearby town or city
for q market for at least his perish
able products.
In the language of the street, It is
fifty-ffty proposition. The town
needs the country and the country
needs the town. The farmer needs the
assistance of the storekeepers of the
town in securing a market for his
products. He needs the assistance of
the StorekeeperS of the town in getting
good roads over which he may haul his
products without losing more time
than the products are worth. He often
needs the assistance of the Storekeep-
ers in helping him over a period Of
financial stringency.
Storekeeper Needs Farmers Trade.
On the other hand the storekeeper
needs the business of the farmer. He
does not ask the farmer TO sell him his
products on credit even though at the
time ne may be hard pushed for cash
and may need more credit badly. He
does not ask the farmer to help him
build sidewalk in trout of his store,
He does not ask for the business Of
the farmer provided that he can sell
the farmer the goods he needs at as
low a price as he can secure them for
elsewhere.
But does he always get the farmers
business? Ask the mail order man
in the big city or ask the postmaster
or the express agent in any town or
city in the country. They could. if
they would tell of thousands Of dollars
sent away TO the big cities to pay for
goods that could be purchased Just as
cheaply and much more conveniently
in the nearest town or city. These
thousands of dollars. when sent II the
mail order houses in the big cities,
never come back. They do not help
10 build good roads past the farmers
houses. When the next crops are har-
vested. the mail order man won't buy
any of the farmers products. The
potatoes. the tomatoes, the melons and
other things that the farmer raises
may lie and rot upon the ground so
far as the mail order man is concerned.
No Credit From Mail Order Man.
The mail order man won't sell the
farmer cents worth Of goods on
one days credit no matter how badly
the farmer may need the goods or how
little ready cash he has to pay for
them. If the farmers house burns
down, the mail order man is not 60
ing to sell him any lumber on credit
so that he may build another home.
He will take what cash he can get the
farmer to send him and there his in
terest in the farmer ends. If the farm
er has no money 10 pay for what he
needs. the mail order man will find
others to help swell the stream Of dol
lars which is building up his great for
tune and helping build up the great
city in which he lives. Let the home
merchant help the farmer when he
needs IL. And the local merchant does
help the farmer as long as he can, but
there comes a time when he cannot.
He cannot make money without GUS
toners. Without the legitimate profit
that he makes from his sales he can
not "carry" the farmer over the rough
spots, he cannot contribute to the good
roads funds, he cannot pay the farmer
cash for his products,