Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1921-10-20
Equal Responsibility for Their
Support Rests Upon the
Farmers and Merchants.
MUST ASSIST EACH OTHER
Prosperity Of Community Depends
Upon Each Of These Two Glasses
Buying Products and Goods
Of Each Other.

The first essential in the develop
ment of any business is the possession
of a market. The manufacturer must
have a market for his products or he
cannot succeed, no matter how valu-
able those products may be or how
efficiently his plant may be operated.
The wholesale merchant and the re-
tail merchant may have the choicest
stocks of goods, but they may as well
20 out of business If they have not a
market where they can dispose Of their
stocks. The farmer may produce
bumper crops, but they will rot upon
the ground If he cannot find market
for them. The wage earner's skill and
muscle bring him no returns unless
there is market for his labor.
The question of markets is the big
one in every line of business and in
every community the question is a
vital one. In each community, which
must be taken to include not only all
the people who live in the town but
the farmers who live in the surround
ing country as well, there are two
sides to the market question. The bust
ness men of the town must have a
market for the things which they have
to sell. Otherwise they cannot con-
tinue in business. At the same time
the farmers must have market for
the things which they raise or they
may as well go out of business.
When Either Fails Both Suffer.
The merchants of the town can pro-
vide market for the products of the
farmers and the farmers can provide
a market for the goods which the mer-
chants have to sell. AS long as each
class of citizens provides market for
the other class all is well and the goose
hangs high, but when either class fails
to provide a market for the other the
goose is cooked, not only for the class
which is deprived Of the market but
for the other as well.
The farmer has a right to expect the
town which is his natural trading point
to provide a market for his products,
and the town is not performing Its
proper function as the trading center
of it's community if it does not see
that such market is@provided. The
responsibility of looking after the full
fillment of this obligation rests largely
upon the merchants of the town. The
farmer is a producer and he must dis
pose of his products before he can be-
come a consumer. It is, therefore, not
only right but necessary from bust
ness standpoint that the merchants
should aid the farmer In turning his
products into money. Otherwise the
farmer naturally will have no money
to spend in the stores Of the town.
Obligation on Farmers.
On the other hand the merchants OF
the town have right to expect the
farmers to provide a market for the
merchandise which they have to sell,
and the farmers are not doing their
duty to their community if they do not
provide such a market. In this case,
also, it is net only right but it is nee
essary to the prosperity of the farmers
that they should aid the merchants in
turning their merchandise into cash.
otherwise it is obvious that the mer-
chants will have no money with which
to buy the products Of the farmers
This is a double-barreled propositions
and the obligation rests equally upon
both the merchants and the farmers to
maintain the markets which are essen
tial to both classes Of citizens. Any
town which would import from points
hundreds of miles distant the farm
products which it could buy at home
would be pursuing very short-sighted
policy, for it would be making it i'm.
possible for the farmers in it's terri
tory to buy the goods OF Its mer-
chants. AS a matter of fact no town
does this unless it is forced by unusual
conditions to do so. A town may be
located in a community which is not
productive enough to meet the local
demands, and in that case 1t is forced
to import farm products but the town
which is compelled to do this is at
q disadvantage from Q commercial
standpoint unless it is essentially
manufacturing town, I'm which case its
products are sold to other cOmmuni-
ties and bring in enough cash to offset
that which is sent away to purchase
farm products.
Must Have Outside Business.
In the average community, however,
the town is dependent for It's pros
perity upon the money received from
the farmers in the ordinary channels
of trade, rather than upon that OBJ
-tained from the sale Of its own prod
ucts. In the average town the mer.
chants cannot make money and con-
tinue in business IL they are depend
emit solely upon the people Of the town
for their business.
No business can last long with "ev.
erything going out and nothing coming
In" and it is equally true that no bust
ness can be operated on the principle
Of everything coming in and moth
ing going out" To maintain the bal.
anon which &c uoonSSarv 70 the mainfn-