Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1921-12-05
bAER ASKS FOR
C00PERATI
''Human Dynamo" OF st.
Louis, Speaks at Cham
Der of Commerce
Luncheon.
LOOK TO COMMUNITY
Ills of Country due Largely
to Lack of COOpera-
ton.
LOOK TO COMMUNITY

I
look more to the community, learn to
know each other better. The nation is
out of gear. The solution lies in Serv-
ice and cooperation" This, in brief.
was the conclusion Of Carl Baer, OF
st. Louis, in his address Friday noon at
tie regular luncheon meeting of the
Chamber of Commerce.
AIr. Bacr is widely known as the
Human Dynamo" and he well lives
up to the name. His topic here was
1.-The Wheel of Progress" He was
introduced in very happy manner by
Alvin A. Burger, secretary of the
Chamber of Commerce. The speaker
was enthusiastically received as he ell
tered the room and he was given big
applause as he concluded
Problems Same.
Mr.. Baer held that the problem of
every city, big or little, is the same.
1t can grow only as its trade territory
grows. 1t can prosper only as the ter
litOry around it prospers. There should
1T the fullest cooperation between the
people Of the farm and the people of
the city, between Chambers of Com
mcrce and Farm Bureaus. He plead
FOR Il better understanding and for the
largest possible measure of cooperation.
Speaking of Iowa, he noted that this
state stands first in agriculture in the
l;.tion. The other states are now
watching YOU" lie said. They are
wondering. in this time of great BUSH
ness depression. whether you can hold
your place in the business fabric. Is
your land too high in price. is your
marketing system right, is there bal
auc2d condition between the town and
country. These and other questions
they are asking" The answer, as the
speaker saw it. lies in the solution OF
the community problem. He held that
Irrational and international problems
are solved only as community problems
are solved The people must realize
that each is dependent upon the other.
The nation is broke" said Mr.. Haer,
because. following the war, everyone
directed his attention toward recOup-
ing losses sustained during the war in-
stead of building up the community
and the nation in an unseliish way.
We tried to develop business to quickly.
Instead of developing the boy. the girl
ard the community at large. The
world has been turned toward destruc-
ton so long that it was hard to turn
nj once toward construction of the COM
munity, rather than the individual"
Forty years ago twO-thirdS OF the
people of this country lived on the
farms. Today only 40 per cent are on
The farms. I'VE are Over-balanced,
said the speaker. I'VE must make the
farm more attractive through better
schools. better roads and better living
conditions. Last year out of every 500
srent in this nation, only 30 cents went
for agricultural development. Poor
schools impossible roads, bad living
conditions, all lower prices OF farm
produce" He spoke of the conditions
in a neighbOring state where there are
5000 rural schools. Eighteen hundred
If them have no bells, $500 nave no
SHADES on the windows, a thousand
have no toilets and % per cent OF them
are unfit for children to be in. This
condition." said he. has more to 90
with the price of farm produce than
most people believe
Mr.. Baer cited Arkansas as an eX-
ample of what Il state may 40 10 I'M
rroyc itself. In 1914 Arkansas went
l.roIe over night when cotton dropped
10 ~, cents pound. SS3W0,ooo was
being sent out of the state annually
for food products. The state adopted
the slogan Let Arkansas Feed Her
self" She adopted diversified farming
and last year she raised S3o,ooo,oOo
mere food products than the year be-
fore and an equal amount of cotton.
This was possible through cooperation.
I'VE can all learn from Arkansas
said he.
The speakers whole talk was devoted
to a plea for bigger and better coopefa-
tjon between all classes OF people, es-
pccially between the town people ana
tbc country people. all of whose prob
lens are the same and each OF whom
needs the other to make successful
his own business.
AT the conclusion Of his address, Dr,
Dchesnilian, Il native Armenian, spoke
I richly in the interest of Near East re-
lief. About Il hundred attended the
luncheon.