The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-02-16
Farmers Need More Producers,
ROtarians Are Told.
Sell Car, Buy Cows and a Lam
tern-O. G. Nystrom.
IMPROVEMENT is ON WAY
Slow Recovery in 1922 Says F.
w. BushOng, Chicago.
Swift Official Warns Against
High Optimism.

Topeka Rotarians. to the number
of $50, and a farmer guest of each of
the 100. held a love feast at the regu-
lar Rotary luncheon at the Chamber
of Commerce at noon today. Every
Rotarian brought with him to the
luncheon a real dirt farmer from
the Topeka territory. There were a
few of the variety which the Rotar-
ians characterized as roll top desk
farmers" present.
The committee in charge of the
luncheon was headed by D. o. Coe,
and included Ralph Searle. NJ. T. KEEL
sey. o. f. Wright, H. H. ,Pugh, and
F. w. Epps.
Following the luncheon. the visitors
were divided into squads, and guided
by members of the entertainment
committee, were taken to one or more
of the following Industrial plants of
the city: Wolff Packing company,
Seymour Packing company, Beatrice
Creamery company, and Road Metal
and Supply company
On the preliminary program. the
first speaker was Nels Darling of Ok
lahoma City, Okla. After the intro
duction of several visiting Rotarians,
Darling was called upon to speak for
them. He told the three best stories
the Rotarians have heard in the past
SSdIy anu JIlGy AOWl60 LOT MIN 10 get
to hisfeet again and tell a fourth,
which capped the three.
An original song, depicting the woes
OF the farmer, and the remedy there
for, was sung by Frank Ripley.
J. c. Mohler, secretary of the state
board of agriculture. was called upon
for four minute talk on crop re-
ports.'
Mohlcr Docs Not Guess.
Mohler pointed out that the reports
issued from his office are not his
guesses, or the opinions of any other
one person in the department. The
acreage upon which the reports are
based, is determined from the reports
or the tax assessors, Mohler said
There are twenty-five correspondents
of the department in each county of
the state, and the reports are the aver
aged and tabulated expressions of
their opinions, on every question.
Most of the correspondents are farm
ers, Mohler declared.
o. G.. Nystrom of Tecumseh, was
called upon for a four minute express
sion of What the Farmer Thinks of
the Rotarians," and expressed a firm
FEELING of cooperation and good feel
ing between the agriculturists and the
men of the city.
Prices are low, but thew are not
SO terrible" Ernest Cheney, of Route
D. declared, when called on to speak
Inc trouble with lot of Young
farmers today is that they need to
trade off their automobiles for a herd
OF good milk COWS, and a lantern
and use the lantern to do chores with
at night. Any man who wants to
work can buy a farm and pay for it.
at present prices The prices of the
things the farmer has to SELL and the
prices of the things he has to buy, are
not equal The remedy is to stop buy
lng-sell your stuff and keep the
money.
Tax Commission in Bad.
THE farmers of Kansas have a real
grievance against the state tax COM
mission, because a couple of years ago
the commission raised the valuation of
farm lands twenty per cent and made
no corresponding increase in the value
of city property.
Taxes are too high, but there is no
one to blame for that but the farmers
themselves, who have been signing ey-
cry petition presented to them with
out reading it. Rural high schools
have been built up all over the state
where they are not needed. We can
cut down on school expense, and we
can cut down on the salaries of teach
ers. We must reduce taxes, but not
on essentials. Let's keep on building
hard surfac ed roads. and let's main
tain the state highway commission.
because we need them If we are to
keep on going forward.
Who is to blame for the high
taxes? You are to blame yourselves.
1 kick about taxes, but I haven't aI1v-
body to kick at but myself. because OF
the lack. of interest that I showed in
government"
At the business meeting which pre- |
ceded the entertainment prograr., the
following new members were elected
into the Rotary club: Stanley Cone
land, Motor Finance company; Frank
crane, Crane & Co.. and William j.
Russell of the Grand Lodge Of the
I. o. o. F.
A special Rotary edition of the
Shawnee Farmer of North Toneka
was one of the features of the meet
ing. 1t was well edited and made up
Tor the benefit of the club and !
guests.
Reviews World Conditions,
F: W. Bushong, of Chicago, reviewed |
world conditions from their business
and economic standpoints for the
benefit of the Rotarians and their
guests. Bushong is a member of the |
staff of Swift & Company of Chica go. |
we may expect a considerable i'm |
proVement in business conditions dur |
ing the year 1922. However, recovery
is certain to be slow and we must not |
be too optimistic or expect the impos- |
~ 10 ANNOAAAPAASilG0g S1lQ
Bushong.
Industry Is Unbalanced.
when business is on a normal basis |
prices OF all commodities, OF all manu- |
featured goods and of all services rem |
dered are on a fairly comparable basis. |
Today industry is stiI in an unbal- |
anced condition. The wholesale prices |
of farm products are only IA per cent |
higher than in 1913, while some manu- i
factured goods are as much as 11S |
per cent higher than in 1913. It is |
obvious that there is considerable !
liquidation and many adjustments
yet to take place.
Business men must realize that the |
interests that they have in common
are far greater than their conflicting
Interests. By pulling together we will
get to normal business much sooner.
There are many reasons for con-
sentative optimism; our strong finan-
cial position is one. The United States
is the only one of the warning nations
to deflate its currency; the quantity
of Federal Reserve bank notes in cir