The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-03-23
Businessmen Together

CHICAGO NEW YOR BOSTON
Businessmen Together
When members Of the Rotary club and Burleigh county
farmers Join Tuesday night in a dinner and program
at the new World War Memorial building, 1t vii: be a
meeting Of the businessmen Of the city and the business
men of the country on q common footing.
For the successful farmer Is just as much q business
man as his city brother who sells merchandise or serv-
ices. The only real differences are in the place and kind
Of business done.
The proof of this may be found by analysis of the farm
ers situation. If investment makes a businessman, the
farmer qualities without difficulty. A section Of land,
valued at only $40 an acre, Is worth $l3,soo. Add to that
buildings, stock and equipment to the value OF $4,000
and you have a total of $23, 800 involved in one farmers
business operations. Any city businessman will tell you
that is a considerable investment.
If training makes the businessman, the successful
farmer is included in the classification without a doubt.
The farmer has to know as much as the city mar If he
is to succeed. In these days OF low farm prices and the
difficulties to which agriculture generally Is subject. he
must know even more II he Is to make q comparable
showing.
Does the city businessman look In advance OF the
moment to sense trends and business conditions, so
must the farmer. In fact, the farmer must make his
guess much farther in advance than the average city
businessman is required to do.
No one doubts the Importance Of the farmer to the
w~ell-being of the nation and 1t is. Of course. necessary
to have some easy means OF designating the men en-
gagged in farm enterprises from those other men who live
in cities. It is too difficult to say "cty businessman"
and rural businessmen" and SO we call them "buSl-
nessmen and farmers"
There are some who use these terms in such tone and
manner as to imply a superiority of the city business
man over the rural businessman. Such superiority does
and can exist only in the imaginative minds Of those
who think in that manner. The sounder minds, both
urban and rural, know that the difference Is imaginary
rather than real.
And so, the meeting Tuesday night is a particularly
happy one for Bismarck and Burleigh county. There
the businessmen OF the community. city and rural, will
meet and get to know each other better. The differences
of opinion which would develop among them. were any
subject preached for discussion, would be only such IS
can always be expected when a group Of men. each with
a different viewpoint and training, turn their minds to
a common problem. Essentially, each man would look
at it in the light of common sense. experience and
expediency.
And the rural element could be depended on to con-
tribute its full quota Of sound judgment and foresight.
The experiences OF the last few years have made It nec-
essary for the men on the soil to exercise their gray
matter even more diligently than has been the case
with some folks in the city.
In the past there has been an apparent effort on the
part of some people to build up a diversity Of interest be-
tween the city man and his country brother. In some
cases and in some places there are such differences. but
they have no logical place in North Dakotas scheme
OF things.
The people of this state long ago realized that agri-
~culture-though the greatest-is just another industry
in this nation. Farming also is. in a manner Of speak
ing, a way Of living because of the necessary differences
in environment between city and country, but the at
titude and the ability brought to the problems presented
are approximately the same in the case Of the farmer
as in the case of men in other industries.
Every North Dakotau realizes that the nations pulse
still beats as true among the businessmen Of the farm
as among those Of the city. He realizes, also, that there
can be no real prosperity and advancement unless the
farm participates in 1t.
If the businessman Of the city is to succeed, the busi-
nessman on the farm must succeed first, for he Is the
original producer Of wealth In this state. .....
And so the differences which have been built up be-
tween town and country jewellers are seen to be largely
artificial. This fact will be emphasized more clearly
when members Of the Rotary club and their guests break
bread together Tuesday night.
1t is the really significant thing about the meeting.