The midland journal., 1942-04-24
MAIN STREETS OF q. s.
DOMINATE AMERICA

MAIN STREETS OF u 81
DOMINATE AMERICA
SOMEWHERE / have read q
statement to the effect that the Main
streets OF America are more power
full than the Broadways. That is
very, very true. The hard, horse
sense Of our Main streets dominates
America. From them are recruit
ed the larger proportion Of our col
lege students, great proportion of
our industrial and political leaders.
From the Main streets are elected q
trife more than SO per cent of our
representative in congress.
Progress is found on our Main
streets quite as much as on our
Broadways. The hitching rack and
watering trough of a generation ago
have given place to the automobile
parking place, the gas station and
the garage. The kerosene lamp has
been replaced with the electric light
bulb. The wash tub in the kitchen
for the family Saturday night bath
is no more. In its place is modern
bathroom. Every convenience that
Broadway has known is also found
on Main street. There are larger
number of automobiles per Main
street homes than per Broadway
homes.
Yes, there is progress on Main
street, but with the advance in ma
terial things there has been retained
that hold on cultural and spiritual
things which makes the Main street
perspective SO different from that of
Broadway. Main street gives seri-
Gus consideration to the problems Of
life and of the nation. Its social life
is built around the school and the
church. Broadway is largely frivo-
lous. It's social life is that of the
night spots, the bright lights and the
country clubs. It. is not easily
brought to serious consideration Of
national or governmental problems.
The Main streets Of America rep
resent the future Of the nation. They
have the virtue of progress, without
the frivolities and the bright lights.
From them comes most of the sane
thinking Of the nation.
FARMERS REACTION
TO AID PROGRAM
ON A RAILROAD TRAIN between
Chicago and the West coast, / had,
among others, seven farmers as fell
low passengers. -Four Of them got
on at Chicago. One was from Michi-
gan, one from Wisconsin and two
from Illinois. One got on in Iowa
and two, one from Missouri and one
from Kansas, boarded the train at
Kansas City.
OF the seven, five were definitely
opposed to government bonuses to
agriculture, although four of the FIVE
were accepting government pay
ments. The farmer from Wisconsin
was not. He was operating dairy
farm and was bitter in his denuncia-
ton of the governments effort to in
duce American people not to eat
cheese so there might be greater
supply for England. The Wisconsin
co-operatives had spent o million
dollars in an advertising campaign
to create an increased market for
cheese.
The man from Iowa expressed the
views Of the five opposed to govern
ment payments:
Farmers are not rnendicants any
more than are merchants" he said.
''Some farmers fail at farming be-
cause they are not capable farmers.
Some merchants fail at storekeep-
ing because they are not capable
merchants, but the government does
not subsidize merchants because Of
the failures. AS farmers we want
a protected American market. We
do not want to compete with farm
ers in countries with much lower
standard of living than that Of Amer
lea. That protected market and new
markets, through the development
Of the scientific application of agri-
culture to industry, is all we want.
With that we want to stand on our
own feet. The government should
save the more than billion dollars
a year now being paid as farm
bonuses"
The two farmers who favored the
bonus plan were equally definite in
their insistence of the necessity of
its continuance.
"The farmer" said one, "is en-
titled to standard of living he cam
not achieve without government
help. It is what / get from the gov
ernment that makes it possible for
me to make this trip to California,
and my wife and are entitled to
such a trip"
Did those seven farmers represent
a cross-section Of the farmers Of
America? / do not know. ! give
you the story as ! received 1t and
without comment, other than if it
does represent the attitude of a
majority of American farmers. the