The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1924-02-13

The discussion of the prices of farm
machinery, which farmers have COM
planned are still too high, brought out
fact that if the average binder
was priced on a pound-for-pound
basis with the average kitchen range.
it would cost $3.50; if it were priced
on the same basis with the worlds .
cheapest automobile, it would cost
$3.50.
1t was stated that 20 leading farm
equipment manufacturers in the Uni
ted States during 1921 and 1922 lost
$50, 900 900. The manufacturers
volume of sales in 1922 was SO per
cent less than for 1920, while the
American farmers sales for 1929
averaged only IS per cent less than
for l920-21. Only 8 1-3 cents out of
every dollar the farmers received
from the sale of all farm products
during the crop yers of 1928 went
TO the farm equipment industry.
1t was also learned, from govern
ment and trade statistics, that ap-
proXimately so per cent of all the
money paid by the farmers to farm
machinery manufacturers, was paid
out for labor, not only in the imple-
ment factories but also in steel mills.
forests, in the mines and on the rail
roads.
One of the most important facts
brought out was that the price of
farm machinery is controlled entirely
by the cost of raw materials and the
cost of labor, and both material and
labor, it was asserted, are now two
or three times as high as they were
in 1914. The further declaration was
made that this is proof that farm
machinery has advanced in price less
than almost everything else during
the past few years.
Before ~adjourning, the body select
ed Helena as the convention city and
set the time for February 10 and IA,
1925.
Better Than Casey at Bat
The address that made the real and
outstanding hit of the convention was
delivered by o. M. Thurber, assistant
secretary and manager of the Mime
sofa Implement Dealers association.
Those who heard it, say it had De
Wolf Hopper's Casey at the Bat
backed off the boards for wit com
bined with economic truisms.
Mr.. Thurber's address, which he
called, "Two On, Two Out, and a Home
Rum" is republished in full as fol.
lows:
"An right, lets play ball. Just a:
we have a great nation, we also have
a great national game-baseball.
think of life as a big baseball game a
times-Our communities as the home
team and the various characteristic:
working against US lined up on the OBJ
posing team. The past two or three
years we have been losing out-thi.
community team of ours. We have no
gotten over the drunken debauch o
wartime easy money and big profits
We have forgotten team work, an,
now that things have frightened u
and the bottom has fallen out we d
not seem to be able to get the oil
spirit working right. We have becom
a disorganized organization.
"The team lined up against us is
we'll working machine which has bee
playing together for generations an
their team work is well nigh perfect
; In the pitchers box we have the won
! der two-handed t%osser, Misunde1
, standing The catcher is old-time Tg
norance.' My what a battery. HOY
many community enterprises hav
: been snuffed out by the curves c
misunderstanding and the super
catchcing Of Ignorance On first W
: have 'Selfishness,' on second 'Hypot
1 risy,' on third Intolerance and tn
j snappy shOrtstOp is Suspicion
( the field there are thTae masters of til
4 game, each one capable of coverin
! every inch of their position, Envy
Jealousy and Scandal
u when the sewing society get t.
u gether making clothes for the native
! in Africa who never wear clothe
these three fielders have a gala da
:. Oh, how many lives have been RUNE
l haw many souls have been laid bare
, he altar of these three fielders. 'Env!
Jealousy and Scandal
Starting Last Inning
y "The umpire is Public Opinion al
. the stands and bleachers are fill,
Il with the Hopes and the Future
II the communities, states, nation a
the world.
! 1--WE will not take time to play t
| whole game, but let's go up to t