The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-08-27
The CO-OPTIMIST
of the F. u. G.. t. A.
Silkworm Sets Pace
The Draftee's Lift
Met Kublai Khan
Archimedes' Lever
Not Quickly Broken

1t would take one silkworm 2,7O0,-
900 days to supply the II pounds of
silk used in parachute. Oh, you
are not interested in the doings of
worms? Except, possibly, the cut
worms that get into the corn or the
worms that spawn in badly stored
grain. Besides the fishing season is
drawing to a close and even the fish
are tired of biting at worms All
right, let us change the subject! How
about one farmer who is trying to
better his own and his neighbours con-
dition? You can calculate that it
will take him fully 100000 days
approximately 1897 years-to do the
job, alone Which is exactly what's
wrong with the effort to build fight
ing farm organization Either the
men In it do not live long enough
Grand this is the weak spot-not
enough farmers get into it. What we
need is 100000 farmers in the coop
erative movement in the country. The
farmer who stays out, is not only de-
laying the coming of the benefits for
his neighbors, but for himself and his
children after him.
You know about what they call "Se-
lectees" and "Draftees" or the chaps
who are being trained into plenty
tough doughboys. Here's a neat little
problem: Taking the present weight
OF army shoes and granting that their
wearer walks four miles a day-and
he walks lot more than that in
day-what is the weight of leather
he lifts in day? You don't need to
look in the back of the book for the
answer. Here it is: He lifts 10 tons
of weight He could not lift that
weight in one lump, but step by step,
mile after mile, he manages to do
it. The farmers of this country, each
representing a step and each "toting
his load" can lift an awful weight off
the shoulders of themselves and agri-
culture, weight which not one of
them could lift alone.
By this time, you probably have
caught the drift. 1t is just this: Eff
fort is good but, when solitary, con-
sumes too much valuable time. United
effort of many gets what must be
done, and in a very short time. Every |
farmer, whether in or out of the |
Farmers Union, II he takes time to |
think knows that is the truth But |
he has been going it alone since the |
days of Kublai Khan, Chinese en-
peror, who 700 years ago established
crop insurance for his people, and |
we would not have it now, but for
the work of the Farmers Union.
Their difficulty seems to be in acting
on those beliefs They know that
every grain, every advantage, every
benefit that has come to the farmer
in the last decade has come through
the efforts of organized farmers. Con-
it can not help hearing
the voice of 100000. Congress
tosses off lightly the weight of one
Ietetr, but when ten tons of mail pres
sure descends ON it, it moves Archi-
modes, the Greek philosopher, de-
clared that if he were given a long
enough lever he could, alone, tip over
he world. The farmer needs that
ong lever-and he can make it him
self
Solomon hits along this same line:
Woe to him who falls alone and has
not another to lift him up. If rob
Der overcome a man that is alone,
.wo can hold him off and then this:
"A threefold cord is not quickly
broken" The Farmers Union offers
hat three-ply cord. 1t is co-opera-
ion, education and legislation And
lere is another passage from the
same ancient kings writings that fits
IN: IF you see oppression of the
Door and violent taking away of JUS
ice and righteousness in a State,
10 not be surprised. One higher than
he high watches. Moreover, the
profit of the earth is for all; the ;
ding himself is served by the field" !
That is the cooperative creed-the
)rofit OF the earth is for all-and our
,nly problem is how to egt it distrib- |
tied and to those to whom it right /;