The Holly chieftain., 1923-09-06
ADDRESS BEFORE
COMMERCIAL CLUB


logy and Rural organization in the
Kansas State Agricultural College,
gaze an interesting address at the
high school auditorium last Friday
evening before a small but repre-
sentative audience.
The audience was composed for
the most part of the civic leaders
of Holly, just the sort of people
the speaker wished to reach. 1t was
not a popular lecture but we'll
thought out and exceedingly lucid
exposition of community develop
nent and progress in these modern
times.
He said that while in the scenic
regions of Colorado nature has
done it all, leaving little for man to
do, in this region of country where
we live. we must achieve all that
is done. We must make over the
country and develope it for our
selves. Here we take the bare, dry
flat prairies and make fences and
highways plant groves and turn the
refreshing waters on the dry soil
to make them bloom Here, and not
in the mountains, will be found the
growing populations. Here is the
arena Of human achievement.
The speaker then outlined some
of the civic programs of our big
cities. Cities like Chicago and San
Francisco have detailed civic plans
which were not to be consummat
ed for one hundred years. All cree
tions of buildings, streets and rail
ways must be subject to these pro.
posed Improvements of future
In the case of the plans for Sar
Francisco fifty years was made up
in a four years time because of
tho destruction of old buildings
caused by the earth quake.
America is country of small
towns. The typical American lives
in the country or the small town
So we must not let the little com
muniies grow in hit-and-miss'
fashion. There should be q plan and
purpose.
California is carrying out land
settlement plan Large ranches are
chosen, portions good for grazing
dairying etc, are determined Com
munities are built from the ground
up and then settlers are put upor
the land The state is spending
millions of dollars in this work.
Towns were originally built by
farmers for shipping or trading
points. Then came period wher
the town forgot the farmer and be-
gan to ape the big city and ignore
the farmer and strife followed be
tween farm and town. Agitators
sought t obuild up class concious
ness and farmers held meetings in
country school houses to plan to-
buy their goods in bulk from the
big cities.
But the farmer cannot get along
without the town. He built it and
cannot get along without it. Were
his town to be shut off by wall
he would have to find another town
or build one The town is the cen
ter for the farmer. Even when he
has his cooperative stores, eleva-
tors and garages, he puts them in
a town
Neither can the town do without
the farmer From the farm comes
all. the new wealth. The farmer is
the sole producer in agricultural
districts.
So we should build the town and
country into one community. The
consolidated school is one of the
best agencies to bind town and
country.
Town are originally built close
enough to serve the farmers as trad
ing points but with the coming
of the auto and good roads we find
we have too many tOwns-tOO close
together. And now comes the prob
lem Of decedent towns, Each wants
a high school, an elevator etc,
Number of small towns are doomed
and must pass out of existence.
Every townsman should ask what
kind of town he is in. Every small
town faces the problem of the sur
vival of the fittest in social and
industrial conditions Only the town
that best serves the farmers Will
survive,
The coming of the auto. the tele-
phone and rural delivery has taken
all the zip out of small town de-
velopment. The farmer may have