The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-01-06
FIRESIDE PROBLEMS-THE FARMER AND
INDEPENDENCE

could see ahead and learn what the year is to bring forth
But the value of that poweris very doubtful. We think l
would be a great advantage to be able to know the condl
tions the future will bring about, but would many OF us bf
wise enough and strong enough to fit our judgment to thai
knowledge? The coveted glimpse ahead might prove
useful. in many ways but ruinous in others.
If actual experience of past years is not sufficient
guidance for the future it is probable that advance know
ledge of the future would not do much for us. 1t would
be so easy and so human to discount the future too heavi-
ly-over estimate the value of the new advantage.
But we can thresh some wheat out of the old straw OF
experience. Of course wheat is not worth much almost
as cheap as advice) but if we can winnow a little out OF
the history of the past few years, free it of foul seed and
plant it in good ground, we may at least harvest enough to
feed a flock of chickens not the kind that teeter across
the road on French heels, but the kind that come home to
roost and lay nickle plated eggs.
When the editor gets to writing or thinking in this di-
rection-that is the matter of winning out over adverse
conditions and solving how to keep our financial heads
above water-he always has in mind the people on the
land. Because if the farmers and stock1nen get into the
way of prospecting the rest of us will, or it is our own fault.
1. is not very difficult to get about all the farmer can get
hold of, because we of the towns have the things the farm
er has to have. 1t is not entirely true that we get our own
prices for what we have to sell. But it is true that we are
more nearly able to base the selling price on the cost Of
production than is the farmer.
Farming is often declared to be the most independent
occupation on earth and theoretically it should be. The
soundness Of the theory is proven by many individual
cases. When a fair majority Of the people on the land be-
come independent and stay so agriculture will be on easy
street. Where easy street might lead them to is another
matter. Farmers who are independent to do as they please
will not spend their efforts producing things that must be
sold at prices that do not pay them wages for their time
wheat and beef for instance. They will produce just
enough for their own use and let the consumer whistle.
That policy if followed up would be tough on the laboring
people of the cities and would lead to more serious trouble
Than this country has Vat Snnn Rift If would hTinC ahO1t
government price regulation and most likely government
control of public utilities. And that would bring more
trouble because all the professional politicians who do not
farm, labor or sell goods, but live fatty on the taxes others
pay; and most of the two by four, boiler plate newspapers
as we'll as many of the big ones-would have to keep right
with big business by bowling socialism and sedition.
Independent editors, the ones who choose their own labels
for their collars, are as scarce as independent farmers. If
the socialism" howl gets loud enough a lot OF the farmers
lose their grip on their goats and vote with the politicians.
But we are DEPRESSING widely. The problem is how
can the farmer make progress toward the ideal condition
of independence, or at least as large a degree of indepen-
dence as other classes of businessmen enjoy. The logical
answer is, through organization. Other lines of industry
make success possible by organizing. Organizing is sim
ply a brief way of expressing the idea of standing together
for mutual interest. The farmers have tried many differ
emt forms or organizations and most of them have borne
some good fruit. Their great numbers and their wide and
scattering distribution over our vast country make nation
wide organization of farmers extremely difficult, but not
so difficult that it should not ultimately succeed.
1t is too much to expect any one form of agricultural
organization to accomplish the whole job before the farm
es. Each form should be of some service in the great
work of making and keeping the farmers prosperous. The
Farm Bureau seems destined to play a big part and de-
serves the cooperation of every real farmer. The Non
partisan League has taught the political strength Of the
farmers, the Farm Bureau teaches them farm economics
and farm methods.
Until organization among the agricultural producers
has greatly improved the highway leading to farm pros
perity, individual farmers will have to take in Old Man
Experience as a partner, engage as assistants those handy