The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1921-02-04
A Heart to Heart Talk About The Farmer
By DAN X. CONWAY

America has always had vastly greater natural
resources than it has had capital and organization
sisted by governmental support, the mining and man.
ufacturing industries of the nation have been re-
equipped and reorganized up to a plane that has more
closely Appropriated the nations resources, and
while this has also been measurably true of the
country's agricultural industry, agriculture, during
the war period has made less advance proportionate
to the increased demand upon it. And, now, with
half of the world facing starvation through the devas-
tation of its soil, the division of its man power into
non reproductive channels, and the crop failures Of
certain countries, the problem of food production be-
comes one of first magnitude.
Perhaps the principal reason for the failure of
our agricultural progress to keep pace with the
growth of the nation, even in normal times, has been
a lack of understanding on the part of the urban
population of the farmers problem, and a consequent
lack of the right kind of cooperation and encourage
ment, but this condition has doubtless been somewhat
improved in many sections by the economic lessons
which the great war taught US. The farmer and his
usefulness to the community is perhaps held in higher
appreciation today, than at any time before in the
entire period OF the nations marvellous industrial
development. Nevertheless, there remains much TO
be accomplished before we can reach anything ap-
preaching an ideal condition.
For the most part, until recent months, wholly
unorganized in any way that looks to cooperative
productive effort, and to Improvement in marketing
and distribution methods, a constant prey to the
whims of changing weather conditions and compelled
to battle increasingly against the ravages of innumer-
able pests. it is safe to state that the financial return
to the average farmer has been less than that re-
ceived by some of the lowest paid mechanics. With
conditions such as these, it has been impossible for
the average farmer to compete with other industries.
In many instances it has been impossible for him to
keep going at a profitable pace.
That the farmer in many states is in some degree
to blame for his present condition may not be denied,
but far more ~blamewOrthy are those interests which
have failed to lead. encourage and support him, or
which have, even worse, exploited him.
Successful agriculture constitutes the very foun-
dation of the nations prosperity. If we are to CON
tlnue to have available that food surplus for export
that is needed to maintain our balance of the world
trade, If we are even to continue to be a self-support-
ing nation in the matter of food supply, there must
be a more effective support given to our farming in
terests; financial, educational, moral and social.
In Montana, the situation the past four years has
taken on a hue entirely dissimilar to that in other
states. Conditions resembling almost precisely those
experienced by Kansas some twenty-five years ago,
have preyed upon the farming industry in this great
western commonwealth, until our farming acres have
refused to produce returns even equal to the seed
outlay. And, the same as it was with Kansas a quar-
ter OF a century ago, many have tired and moved to
other scenes of activity. In other words, the agri-
cultural industry of Montana is passing through those
same trying times of adversely as have been expert
enced by many other western states prior to the es-
adjustment of that scientific system which is best
adapted to the states climatic and soil conditions.
Montana, and especially the vast section thereof
which lies east of the continental divide. is primarily
an agricultural state. Natural mining resources Of