The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-07-02

demand gone and buying power with
drawn he found his gross selling price
cut in two. His gross at the high hg-
1re had enabled him to make 8 per
cent net on his new capitalization.
This now was cut One-half by the re-
ductiOn Of his gross selling price and
instead Of making a 6 per cent return,
as he was able to do perhaps on his
original 800 acre farm, he has since
been lucky If he has made IA per
cent IN his new capital account
The Remedy
I am confident that something Of
this kind underlies IS per cent Of the
present difficulty. How can Il be
remedied? / believe that time and in
telligeRt hard work is the surest
restorative Of better conditions. No
magic Of trick legislation can accom-.
plish the result There r q few
facts which must be faced and &C
cepted before a start to better things
can be made. The first and most i'm.
pOrtant Is recognition that farming
never was, Is not now, and I do not
believe yer will be a s~O-called
~mOney-making proposition. By this ]
mean a business in which a man may
engage with the certainty Of being
able over a period Of years from the
production and sale Of farm CON.
mOdities to accumulate great wealth.
There are those who viii say that
unless farming can be made a SIC.
cessful money-making proposition
there is no hope for the future Of the
country. My argument with such peO-
pie will turn on the correct definition
OF what Is a satisfactory mOney-mak-.
ing business. I believe that Il farm
ing Is intelligenIly and industriously
followed 1t is a satisfactory business
but I do not believe that It lie sum
GENTLY a mOney-making proposition
to attract those who are ambitious to
play for big fortunes.
There are those also who say that
many men have grown rich in the
past In agriculture. / do not think
they have from the mere production
and sale OF farm commodities. The
men who have grown rich IN the past
from agriculture have owed their
success most largely to the ownership
Of what would now be considered
very cheap lands, which over a pc
Rod Of years have shown Q~uadruple
and more appreciation in values.
The Advantages Of Farm Life
But II agriculture does not mean
great wealth, and it certainly does not
involve a life Of idleness, ease, OF
luxury, It does mean much more. Il
means II inteEligently and industrious
" followed a character Of independ.
ence VOuchsafed to no other trade OF
profession. How do / know this?
P know it by experience and I know Il
by observation. The farmers Of to.
day have more good, wholesome food
t than any man working on a salary OF
$4,000 per year can buy for bis family
: and be able to pay his grocery bin
without paying any other Of his debts
, The farmers who r complaining OF
their inability to make money enough
1 TO pay for their necessities OF life are
enjoying at home as q natural heri
tages Of their business comforts and
Injuries which the man Ga the indus
g trial centers working for a salary Il
? spending every dollar Of his income
d to obtain and then Is not getting any
thing commensurate with those en-
e joyed BY the farmer.
It So these sO-causd unledgere,
q items Of the farmers income that ar,
too often lost sight Of in the calculs
tons made by our reformer friend
who would legislate q living wage an,
q universal prosperity to those engage,
In agriculture. Il the farmer az
whole would be happy again he mus
Il take stock Of his blessings and thanI
God for them. get rid oe his auacl
doctors Of political bunkum. naValu
8 his plant and equipment ana star
d over again a full knowledge Of IA.
y fact that he must face keen and eRs,
d tive competition hat he must worI
hard and i~ntsutgently, that hssmur
% calculate in his income inherent an
Ie unbeatable items. which are "a
b. measured in dollars and centa.
81 When he does this, I feel perfeetl
be certain that over a period 81 year.
Re taking the good and the bad as
"a comes % an closses of business. b
n win md that h0 has Lived wen. ths
,n he has had 8 Raif msFEin Tor the 81
5oyment of an the necessities az li
~ and surplus Tor Hoso lu1ulies whic
CO he h68 right % claim and shove "a
ldl that hs win have had 8 chance to q
81 m independent Individual 8 reei 90