The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1922-08-03
WHY ARE FARMERS
LEAVING THE FARM?
By C.. w. Reichert

WHY ARE FARMERS
- LEAVING THE FARM!
BY c. w. Reichert
Little concern is given by the aver.
age citizen to the fact that farmers
are leaving the farms. The occupa-
tion of farming seems to be far dis
itant of farming seems to be far dis
itant for the average dweller in the
cities. They know very little of the
various problems that the farmer is
compelled to battle with and many of
Our farmers do not thoroughly under
stand the many avenues where the va
rious leaks occur which the products
of their labors travel through.
Farming Does Not Pay
Farming has not and is not paying
in the Northwest, and why? Agricul-
ture is the basic industry in North
Dakota and always will be. We home
steaded the lands in North Dakota in
the eighties. In about forty years we
managed to incumber our lands to the
extent of $350,0O0,O0O, and it is safe
to state that our personal obligation
will amount to as much more, and all
we have to show for it is our houses.
barns and stock and will that amount
to $700,000,000? will leave that for
you to determine. If it does and then
if we invoice our lands as we home
steaded our forty years Of labor have
gone glimmering. But the financier
will say to the farmer, "Your land
values have increased. so that I will
loan you more money and of course
take another mortgage on your home"
He will then tell you to make two
blades of grass grow where one grew
before in order to meet your interest
to him. BY and by the mother gets
weary and tired. The father is look.
ing forward in the distanct, and that
picture spells much harder struggle
for his children to make farming
Success. The cards seem to be stack
ed against them.
Let US analyze the situation some
what and see if there is no help for
the farmer. The old saying is "God
helps those who help themselves, so it
is up to the farmer to do something
for himself nd what is it?
The Old System
The old system of exploitation has
always existed and always will. 1t is
one of the laws of nature. For in
stance, the big fish will levonr the
weaker ones; the hawk will eat the
little chicken; the wolf will kill the
little helpless lamb. Notice the grass
es-some varieties viii! choke OFT 9TH
er varieties; wild oaLs will choke oft
wheat; Quack- grass will! destroy wild
oats and large trees in the woods, will
destroy weaker ones. The only thing
for the farmer todo;s to take an in
voice Of himself, like a genera! OH the
battlefield, and out general the other
fellow. If yot don't do that the other
fellow wins the battle and you will
be working for him and if he has you
working for him, he will have time to
go fishing while you work.. Great
Britain outgeneraled the United
States for a long time until George
Washington turned the trick on her.
But brother farmers, as long as you
raise wheat you are in the same boat
with the eastern states as the United
States was with Great Britain before
the Revolutionary War. Let US anal
we the situation and talk things ov-
er. When you raise wheat you have
to have lot of machinery, such as
binders, threshing machines, high
priced help from the east and binder
Irvine and the cost of all that you
will have to come out of your wheat
crop. But, brother farmer, where
does this money for all that go? Why,
it goes east to build up their large
cities and beautiful parks, glass
fronts and beautiful boulevards.
A Way Out
Now, brother farmer, let's see if
there is any way to outgeneral that
fellow in the east. If you never play
ed checkers you better start now and
have a game with all the members of